During the week of February 21 to February 27, 2026, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona charged 156 individuals with immigration-related crimes. Of these, 106 cases involved illegal re-entry into the United States, while another 40 cases involved illegal entry. Additionally, nine cases were filed against ten people accused of smuggling undocumented immigrants into or within Arizona.
Federal law enforcement agencies supported these prosecutions. These agencies include U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE-ERO), ICE-Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI), U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the FBI, the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
One case highlighted was United States v. Jose Leonel Medina-Angulo. Medina-Angulo was charged on February 23 with transporting undocumented immigrants after a Border Patrol agent observed four people walking in remote terrain south of Exit 87 on I-8. The group attempted to hide but was apprehended by agents who noted they wore camouflage clothing and carried backpacks designed for concealment. Two more individuals believed to be part of this group were later found in the desert. All six people were determined not to be U.S. citizens and lacked legal status.
Another case, United States v. Jario Isaias Ventura-Jocol, involved charges of transportation of illegal aliens for profit on February 25. Homeland Security Investigations agents tracked a vehicle registered in Phoenix that left a checkpoint without a valid driver’s license tied to its registration. The Tohono O'odham Police Department saw the vehicle in an area known for picking up undocumented immigrants and later pursued it when it failed to stop at two stop signs and sped away at over 100 mph. After losing control briefly but regaining it, Ventura-Jocol eventually stopped; two passengers fled into the desert but were caught along with another person hiding in the backseat. All three passengers were from Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico and did not have legal status.
“A criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct,” according to officials from the District of Arizona U.S. Attorney’s Office. “All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.”
More information about ongoing efforts can be found at http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/.
