CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Federal prosecutors in South Texas filed a staggering 361 immigration-related cases in just one week, highlighting the ongoing enforcement efforts along the U.S.-Mexico border.
U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei announced cases filed from Feb. 13-19, including charges against 23 people for human smuggling crimes. An additional 141 criminal complaints were filed for illegal entry, while 193 people face felony reentry charges after prior removal.
Most of those facing reentry charges have prior felonies, including narcotics, violent crime, and immigration crimes. The remaining cases involve firearms charges and other immigration crimes.
Among those charged with felony reentry are several Mexican nationals who had been removed recently. Jorge Luis Gonzalez-Garcia and Cesar Eduardo Sanchez-Rodriguez were discovered in the McAllen area without authorization to be in the country. Both men have prior convictions for illegal reentry and were previously removed in November 2025 and January 2026, respectively.
Four other individuals with prior drug convictions also illegally reentered the country. Law enforcement discovered Cesar David Ramirez-Rodriguez and Irwin Francisco Ruiz-Gallegos near Mission, while Jesus Torres-Gomez and Arturo Saenz-Valle were located near Weslaco and Rio Grande City, respectively.
All six men face up to 20 years in federal prison if convicted.
Recent sentencings highlight repeat offenders
In addition to the new cases, several individuals received federal sentences for unlawful reentry.
Wilson Antonio Vargas Argueta was ordered to serve a 24-month sentence for unlawfully reentering the country. He has multiple prior convictions for assault, driving while intoxicated, and fleeing from law enforcement. In 2020, he bit a police officer while resisting arrest and was removed from the United States before illegally returning.
Four-time DUI offender Odon Chavez-Esquivel received a 21-month federal sentence. He was first removed from the United States in May 2003 and later returned illegally in 2011 and 2012. Authorities discovered him again in August 2022 following his fourth conviction for driving under the influence of alcohol.
Mexican national Juan Ignacio Miranda-Arente was ordered to serve a 21-month sentence. He has a lengthy criminal history dating back to 2008 with convictions for illegal reentry, assault and indecency with a child.
Honduran national Danilo Nunez-Avila pleaded guilty to unlawfully reentering the United States without permission for a ninth time. Law enforcement discovered him on Oct. 29, 2024, after responding to a reported assault involving a family member. He faces up to 20 years in federal prison.
Several others also received federal sentences in Houston for illegal reentry, including Salvadoran national Santos Alexis Parada Garcia, who has multiple convictions for domestic violence, driving while intoxicated and felony possession of cocaine.
Guatemalan national Manual Isais Sohom Tambriz and Mexican national Jose Apolinar Hernandez-Melo were also sentenced. Hernandez-Melo has a criminal history, including driving under the influence of alcohol and possession of a controlled substance. He was discovered again in 2025 following a conviction for deadly conduct. Tambriz was first removed in 2016 and returned illegally three times.
Multi-agency enforcement effort
The cases were referred or supported by multiple 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 partners also provided assistance.
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, 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 nine million people covering 44,000 square miles. Assistant U.S. Attorneys from all seven divisions, including Houston, Galveston, Victoria, Corpus Christi, Brownsville, McAllen, and Laredo, work directly with law enforcement partners to prosecute federal crimes.
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