Several individuals living unlawfully in the Houston area have been arrested for illegal reentry into the United States after removal, according to U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
The recent enforcement actions resulted in the detention of Guatemalan nationals Karen Paola Cabeza-Magana (also known as Karen Hernandez), 29, and Julio Gonzalez-Portillo, 54; Mexican nationals David Rodriguez Solis, 52, and Jose Garcia Zamora, 39; and Salvadoran national Jose Mario Alvarado (also known as Julio Mario Alvarado), 57. All remain in custody while criminal proceedings continue.
Those charged are foreign nationals from Mexico, El Salvador, and Guatemala. They allegedly have prior convictions for state crimes including assault, aggravated assault of a family member, driving under the influence, and narcotics offenses. Authorities say all were on probation or supervision and had previously been removed from the United States at least once.
“Our office created Operation Pick-Off based upon an extremely simple concept—that a state probation sentence should not be a sanctuary from federal immigration laws. Take note, the Southern District of Texas is not a safe harbor for those who enter the United States illegally and commit crimes against our citizens,” said Ganjei. “Now, these offenders, who so brazenly flouted our laws, have earned themselves a jail stay before their one-way flight home. My office promised to bring this targeted operation to every corner of the district. Promise kept.”
FBI Houston Special Agent in Charge Jason Hudson stated: “FBI Houston is levering its intelligence and investigative resources to locate and apprehend individuals who have allegedly committed various crimes and are residing unlawfully in the greater Houston area. All these individuals were previously convicted, deported, and re-entered the United States illegally.” He added that FBI Houston is working with Homeland Security and federal prosecutors through Operation Pick-Off to remove these alleged offenders from Texas communities.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations Houston acting Field Office Director Gabriel Martinez commented: “Each of the criminal illegal aliens targeted under this operation have allegedly entered the U.S. at least once, if not multiple times unlawfully, and have gone on to commit criminal offenses in our local communities.” Martinez noted that expanding this operation aims to end such lawlessness by holding alleged offenders accountable.
Erin Burke, acting Special Agent in Charge at ICE - Homeland Security Investigations said: “Houston’s close proximity to the Southern border has made it a magnet for dangerous criminal illegal aliens who have illegally reentered the United States multiple times and endanger public safety.” She emphasized that combining resources among HSI, FBI, ERO will help protect local communities.
Operation Pick-Off began in August 2025 in the Rio Grande Valley as a multi-agency effort targeting criminal illegal aliens on state probation or supervision. The initiative now covers Harris, Fort Bend, and Montgomery counties within the Southern District of Texas—a region where enforcement remains ongoing with rolling arrests expected.
Assistant U.S. attorneys from Houston are prosecuting these cases. The investigations involved ICE-ERO and FBI-Houston Field Office with support from ICE-HSI alongside prosecutors from the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
This collaborative effort forms part of Operation Take Back America—a nationwide campaign led by the Department of Justice aiming to address illegal immigration issues as well as transnational crime organizations.
A criminal complaint or indictment represents only an accusation; defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty through due process.
The U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas is part of the U.S. Department of Justice under direction of the Attorney General (source). This office handles prosecution of federal crimes across 43 counties with more than nine million residents (source)—including areas such as Houston—and employs over 200 attorneys (source). Its leadership history includes figures like Alamdar Hamdani (2022–2025) (source).
