A total of 294 cases related to immigration and border security were filed in the Southern District of Texas from December 5 to December 11, according to U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Of these, 87 individuals are charged with illegal entry and 182 with felony reentry after removal. Most defendants have prior felony convictions for crimes including narcotics offenses, violent crime, and immigration violations. The cases also include 22 people accused of human smuggling and two facing charges for assaults on federal officers.
Among those charged are two Mexican nationals accused of illegal reentry. Josadad De La Cruz-Perez was previously removed from the United States in April but was found near Rio Grande City this week, according to court documents. Jose Yuriel Tovias-Alvarez was located near McAllen; both men have prior felonies—De La Cruz-Perez for illegal reentry and Tovias-Alvarez for possession with intent to distribute cocaine. If convicted on the new charges, each could face up to 20 years in federal prison.
In a separate case, Juan De Dios Aguero, identified as the leader of an alien smuggling ring in Laredo, received a sentence of 57 months in federal prison. During sentencing, evidence showed that Aguero recruited drivers and set abandoned vehicles on fire as distractions for law enforcement. On August 6, 2024, authorities at a Border Patrol checkpoint near Freer found 35 undocumented migrants—including three unaccompanied minors—inside a tractor-trailer where temperatures reached nearly 100 degrees. Many suffered heat exhaustion. Investigators linked Aguero to organizing the failed smuggling event by transporting co-defendant Mateo Guerra to steal the truck used and renting a U-Haul for moving people from a stash house. Authorities also connected him to two other failed smuggling attempts involving dozens more individuals.
Federal law enforcement agencies such as Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations, ICE - Enforcement and Removal Operations, Border Patrol, Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI, U.S. Marshals Service and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives participated in these investigations along with state and local partners.
The prosecutions are part of Operation Take Back America—a national initiative led by the Department of Justice aimed at countering illegal immigration and dismantling transnational criminal organizations.
“Under current leadership, public safety and a secure border are the top priorities for this district,” said U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. “Enhanced enforcement both at the border and in the interior of the district have yielded aliens engaged in unlawful activity or with serious criminal histories, including convictions for human trafficking, sexual assault and violence against children.”
The Southern District of Texas covers 43 counties stretching from Houston to the Mexican border—a region with over nine million residents—and operates offices in several cities including Houston (its headquarters), Galveston, Corpus Christi, Laredo, McAllen and Brownsville (official website). The office employs more than 200 attorneys who prosecute federal crimes such as those described above (official website).
The U.S. Attorney’s Office works closely with law enforcement agencies at all levels (official website). Its prosecutors handle both criminal prosecutions—including immigration-related offenses—and civil cases involving government interests (official website).
According to official sources (official history page), previous leaders have included Alamdar Hamdani (2022-2025) among others.
It is noted that indictments or complaints are formal accusations only; defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty through due process.
