A total of 399 cases connected to border enforcement have been filed in the Southern District of Texas between December 19 and January 2, according to U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
The charges involve 19 individuals accused of human smuggling, 146 facing allegations of illegal entry, and 230 others charged with reentering the United States after prior removal. Many defendants reportedly have previous felony convictions for offenses such as narcotics, violent crime, and immigration violations. Other cases include accusations related to firearms and additional immigration crimes.
Some of those charged with felony reentry are men from Mexico, Honduras, and Cuba. Authorities allege that two individuals—Cuban national Armando David Naranjo-Alemany and Honduran national Melvin Antonio Ramos-Avila—had been removed from the United States on November 28 and November 25, 2025, respectively. Criminal complaints state both were found unlawfully present in South Texas in late December. Additional individuals allegedly found illegally in the country include Ruben Jimenez-Garcia, Jose Raul Sotelo, and German Garza-Velez, all from Mexico. According to charges, each had previously been removed but was discovered back in the United States; their criminal histories include convictions related to controlled substances like methamphetamine or cocaine, burglary, or illegal reentry.
Authorities also report discovering a Mexican woman in Donna without permission to be there. Charges allege Eva Aidee Rodriguez-Rivera had previously been removed and was sentenced to 75 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
If convicted on illegal reentry charges, all defendants face up to 20 years in federal prison.
Federal law enforcement agencies referred or supported these cases—including Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations; ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations; Border Patrol; Drug Enforcement Administration; FBI; U.S. Marshals Service; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives—with help from state and local partners.
These prosecutions are part of Operation Take Back America—a nationwide effort by the Department of Justice aiming “to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.”
According to leadership at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas: “Under current leadership, public safety and a secure border are the top priorities for this district. 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 remains one of the busiest U.S. Attorney’s Offices nationally. It covers 43 counties across more than nine million people over an area exceeding 44,000 square miles—including offices in Houston (its headquarters), Galveston, Victoria, Corpus Christi, Brownsville, McAllen and Laredo (official website). The office employs more than 200 attorneys who prosecute federal crimes such as those described above (official website).
The office works closely with law enforcement partners at every level (official website). It is part of the Department of Justice under the supervision of the Attorney General (official website), providing legal services that include prosecuting federal crimes as well as representing government interests in civil matters (official website). The U.S. Attorney is appointed by the President with Senate confirmation (official website).
As noted by officials: “An indictment or criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.”
