Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck announced the charges, which include 204 people facing felony reentry after prior removal, 141 criminal complaints alleging illegal entry, 22 people charged with human smuggling crimes, and six cases involving firearms and other immigration crimes.
Most of the individuals facing felony reentry charges have prior felony convictions for narcotics, violent crimes, and immigration offenses.
Authorities charged Mexican nationals Ivis Anibal Olvera-Moreno and Carlos Alberto Chairez-Estala with felony reentry. Both men have felony criminal histories that include injury to a child or the elderly, or aggravated assault. Law enforcement allegedly discovered Olvera-Moreno and Chairez-Estala in the McAllen area without authorization to be in the United States after they were allegedly removed in July 2025.
Authorities also found Daniel Davalos-Ayala near Donna and Jorge Armando Pineda-Samaniego near Edinburg. Both men are Mexican nationals previously removed from the country. The criminal complaint alleges Davalos-Ayala has multiple prior convictions for illegal reentry, possession with intent to distribute, and unauthorized use of a vehicle. Pineda-Samaniego has a prior conviction for illegal reentry and was previously removed in May 2018.
All four men face up to 20 years in federal prison if convicted of felony reentry after removal.
In addition to the new cases, courts sentenced several individuals for unlawful reentry. A judge ordered Fernando Ramirez-Noria to serve 84 months in federal prison. Authorities first removed Ramirez-Noria in January 2015, but law enforcement found him again following a 2023 driving while intoxicated arrest. His criminal history includes convictions for domestic violence, DWI, and illegal reentry.
In Houston, Jose Rosario Belmontes-Lira pleaded guilty and received a sentence for unlawful reentry. Law enforcement discovered Belmontes-Lira in January without authorization to be in the country. He has prior convictions for burglary, DWI, and illegal reentry. A judge also sentenced Honduran national Alex Ramon Reyes, who has prior convictions for possession of a controlled substance, theft, and human smuggling.
The cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide Department of Justice initiative aimed at addressing illegal immigration, transnational criminal organizations, and violent crime.
Multiple federal agencies, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the FBI, supported the investigations alongside state and local partners. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas represents 43 counties and more than 9 million people.
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