CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Federal prosecutors in South Texas filed 294 immigration and border security cases in just one week, highlighting the ongoing enforcement efforts along the U.S.-Mexico border.
U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei announced the cases filed between Dec. 5-11, which include charges ranging from illegal entry to human smuggling and assaults on federal officers.
The majority of defendants face serious charges: 87 people are accused of illegal entry, while 182 face felony reentry after removal. Most of those charged have prior felony convictions for narcotics, violent crimes and immigration violations.
Among the new cases, two Mexican nationals were charged with illegal reentry. Authorities removed Josadad De La Cruz-Perez in April but discovered him near Rio Grande City this week. In a separate case, law enforcement found Jose Yuriel Tovias-Alvarez near McAllen.
Both men have extensive criminal histories. De La Cruz-Perez has a prior felony for illegal reentry, while Tovias-Alvarez served a substantial prison sentence for possession with intent to distribute kilogram quantities of cocaine. If convicted on the new charges, each faces up to 20 years in federal prison.
The week's filings also include 22 individuals accused of human smuggling and two people charged with assaulting federal officers.
Smuggling ring leader sentenced
In addition to the new cases, Juan De Dios Aguero, who led an alien smuggling ring in Laredo, received a 57-month federal prison sentence. The court heard how the Laredo resident recruited drivers and set abandoned vehicles on fire to distract law enforcement.
On Aug. 6, 2024, authorities at a Border Patrol checkpoint near Freer discovered 35 people, including three unaccompanied minors, sealed inside a tractor-trailer with temperatures reaching nearly 100 degrees. Many suffered from heat exhaustion.
The investigation revealed Aguero organized the failed smuggling operation by helping co-defendant Mateo Guerra steal the tractor-trailer and renting a U-Haul to transport people from a stash house. Authorities connected Aguero to two additional failed smuggling attempts in October 2023 and February 2024 involving 28 and 11 people, respectively.
Multiple federal agencies supported these cases, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI, U.S. Marshals Service and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, along with state and local law enforcement partners.
The cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that 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 covers 43 counties and more than 9 million people across 44,000 square miles, making it one of the busiest in the nation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys from seven divisions work with law enforcement partners to prosecute federal crimes.
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