During the week of December 6 to December 12, 2025, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona charged 173 individuals with immigration-related crimes. Of these cases, 93 involved illegal re-entry into the United States and 73 were related to illegal entry. Additionally, seven cases were filed against people accused of smuggling others into or within Arizona.
The enforcement actions were supported by several federal agencies, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE ERO), ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
One case highlighted was United States v. Mario Alberto Herrera Jr., who was charged on December 11 with transportation of an illegal alien after a traffic stop revealed he was transporting two Guatemalan nationals unlawfully present in the country. Authorities determined Herrera had been paid to transport them to Phoenix and noted he was already on probation for a previous conviction for similar conduct.
Another case involved Miguel Hernandez-Cortez, who was charged on December 8 with re-entry after removal. Hernandez-Cortez had previously been deported following a felony conviction for aggravated sexual assault in Texas.
“A criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law,” stated the release.
