CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Federal prosecutors in South Texas announced charges against 235 more individuals in immigration and border security-related cases from Nov. 21-27, according to U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
The cases include 17 people allegedly involved in human smuggling, 70 charged with illegally entering the country, and 146 facing felony reentry charges after prior removal. Most of those facing reentry charges have prior felonies, including narcotics, violent crime, and immigration violations.
One case involves Greibein Alexis Pinot-Duarte, a Honduran national who allegedly smuggled more than four dozen people in a refrigerated tractor-trailer near Freer. According to the complaint, he appeared nervous during a traffic stop, and a K-9 alerted to the rear doors. Authorities discovered 51 people concealed in a cramped compartment beneath boxes of produce in the 55-degree trailer with limited means of escape. Pinot-Duarte faces up to 10 years in federal prison if convicted.
Criminal complaints also allege several people unlawfully reentered the country without authorization. Christian Omar Amezquita-Munoz, a Mexican national found near Donna, allegedly has a prior conviction for possession with intent to distribute 14 kilograms of cocaine. He was sentenced to 100 months in prison before his removal in 2022.
Authorities also found Oscar Enrique Govea-Acuna, another Mexican national, near Hidalgo. Govea-Acuna has a conviction for evading arrest with a vehicle and was removed in 2018, according to charges.
Both men could receive up to 20 years in federal prison if convicted.
The cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations, ICE - Enforcement and Removal Operations, Border Patrol, Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI, U.S. Marshals Service and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. State and local law enforcement also assisted.
The cases are part of Operation Take Back America. This nationwide initiative uses Department of Justice resources to address illegal immigration, eliminate cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect communities from violent crime.
The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Texas represents 43 counties and more than 9 million people covering 44,000 square miles. Assistant U.S. Attorneys from seven divisions, including Houston, Galveston, Victoria, Corpus Christi, Brownsville, McAllen, and Laredo, work with law enforcement partners to prosecute federal crimes.
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