The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico has released its weekly immigration enforcement report, detailing criminal charges filed in partnership with agencies such as the El Paso Sector of the U.S. Border Patrol and Homeland Security Investigations El Paso.
For the week ending February 20, 2026, prosecutors charged 67 individuals with illegal reentry after deportation, nine with alien smuggling, and 59 with illegal entry. Additionally, 48 people faced charges related to illegal entry, violating military security regulations, and entering restricted military property at a newly established National Defense Area in New Mexico.
Many defendants accused of illegal reentry had previous convictions for crimes including drug trafficking, healthcare fraud, money laundering, human smuggling, burglary, and other immigration offenses.
A notable case from February 13 involved Adriana Alejandra Coss. According to authorities, Coss was stopped at the Las Cruces checkpoint on I-25 while driving a tractor trailer she claimed was empty and locked. A canine inspection led agents to cut open the trailer lock and discover nineteen undocumented individuals inside without means of escape. Agents also found a cooler bag in the cab containing cell phones belonging to those inside; later they recovered a key matching the trailer lock from Coss’s former detention cell. Witnesses said they paid smugglers and were held in stash houses before being loaded into the trailer by multiple transporters for nonstop travel under cold conditions. The truck owner confirmed that Coss did not have permission to use the vehicle or any legitimate reason for her trip.
“This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime,” according to officials.
These figures only account for prosecutions by this office; they do not include those processed administratively by immigration enforcement agencies.
Authorities emphasized their focus on public safety and border security under current leadership. They noted that enhanced enforcement efforts at both border areas and within New Mexico have resulted in apprehensions involving unlawful activity or serious criminal histories such as human trafficking or violence against children.
The District covers all 33 counties in New Mexico along with 180 miles bordering Mexico. Assistant U.S. Attorneys based in Albuquerque and Las Cruces collaborate closely with federal, state, and local law enforcement partners on these cases.
