Federal prosecutors in the Southern District of California filed 115 border-related cases this week, according to a July 31 announcement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The charges include bringing in aliens for financial gain, reentering the United States after deportation, and importation of controlled substances.
The Southern District of California is identified as the fourth-busiest federal district due to a high volume of border-related crimes. The district covers San Diego and Imperial counties and shares a 140-mile border with Mexico. It includes the San Ysidro Port of Entry, which is described as the world’s busiest land border crossing, connecting San Diego and Tijuana.
In addition to reactive prosecutions related to border crimes, the office also handles proactive cases involving terrorism, organized crime, drugs, white-collar fraud, violent crime, cybercrime, human trafficking, and national security.
Among this week’s arrests: On July 24, Wilfredo Rivera-Herrera of El Salvador was arrested and charged with Deported Alien Found in the United States after Border Patrol agents encountered him entering illegally near Otay Mesa Port of Entry; he had previously been deported to Mexico in December 2025. On July 28 at San Ysidro Port of Entry, Mariela De Anda Madrigal was arrested when Customs and Border Protection officers found 40 pounds of fentanyl concealed in her vehicle as she applied for entry into the country. On July 30 at Otay Mesa Port of Entry, Adrian Balderas-Zazueta was charged with Bringing in Aliens for Financial Gain after authorities discovered a minor concealed inside his van’s dashboard compartment.
The immigration cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners including Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE ERO), Customs and Border Protection (CBP), U.S. Border Patrol, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF) along with state and local agencies.
Indictments and criminal complaints are allegations only; all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.