CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Federal prosecutors in the Southern District of Texas filed 473 immigration-related cases between Feb. 20-26, including charges against 23 people allegedly involved in human smuggling, U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei announced in a press release today.
Of the total cases, 202 were criminal complaints for illegal entry. Another 244 people face felony reentry charges after prior removal — most with prior felony convictions, including narcotics offenses, violent crimes, and immigration crimes. The remaining cases involve other immigration-related charges.
Among the newly filed cases are three men charged with felony reentry after removal. Joel Antonio Alvarez-Reyes, a Salvadoran national, and Arturo Corona-Santiago, a Mexican national, both have prior burglary convictions and had previously been removed from the United States. Law enforcement allegedly found both men in the McAllen area without legal authorization to be in the country.
Also charged is Ariel Lazaro Hernandez-Misiara, a Honduran national with a prior cocaine trafficking conviction. Authorities allegedly found him near Roma despite having been removed Jan. 2. If convicted, each of the three men faces up to 20 years in federal prison.
A federal jury in Corpus Christi found Ludivina Vasquez-Salinas, 63, of Penitas, guilty of transporting an undocumented immigrant further into the United States. On May 7, 2025, authorities stopped Vasquez-Salinas while she was driving a white SUV and observed movement beneath a blanket on the rear floorboard of her vehicle. She initially claimed only she and her daughter were in the car but later admitted she knew an undocumented immigrant was present and that she was transporting them past a checkpoint. The jury deliberated for 25 minutes before returning a guilty verdict.
In Houston, two men were sentenced to federal prison for unlawfully reentering the country. Raymundo Pecina-Lopez received 39 months and Samuel Moreno-Soto received 18 months. Both Mexican nationals have prior convictions for assault of a family member and narcotics offenses.
Also sentenced in Houston were Honduran nationals Elmer Adalid Alonzo-Zelaya and Cristian Jose Ayestas-Argueta, both ordered to prison for illegal reentry after removal. Both men have prior illegal reentry convictions and were recently found unlawfully in the United States again. Alonzo-Zelaya has convictions for aggravated assault, obstruction of an officer and driving without a valid license. Ayestas-Argueta has convictions for assault of a family member and trespassing.
Mexican national Edgar Jaramillo-Escobar was also sentenced in Houston. He had previously been convicted of illegal reentry and assault causing bodily injury.
Two additional sentencings took place in Corpus Christi. Mexican nationals Serafin Garcia-Rodriguez and Hugo Balderas Juarez both have prior convictions for illegal entry, illegal reentry and drug charges. Juarez also has a prior conviction for driving under the influence. Both have been ordered to federal prison on the new illegal reentry charges.
Also in Houston, Veronica Michelle Torres pleaded guilty to illegal reentry after being found unlawfully present in the country. Records show she has prior felony convictions including credit card abuse and unlawful carrying of a weapon. She now faces up to 10 years in prison.
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, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the FBI, the U.S. Marshals Service and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, with additional assistance from state and local law enforcement.
The cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to address illegal immigration, dismantle 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 across 44,000 square miles. Assistant U.S. Attorneys from all 7 divisions — Houston, Galveston, Victoria, Corpus Christi, Brownsville, McAllen and Laredo — work with federal, state and local law enforcement partners to prosecute federal crimes.
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