CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Federal prosecutors in the Southern District of Texas filed 13,964 immigration and border security-related cases from Jan. 20 through Dec. 31, 2025, U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei announced.
The cases represent a significant enforcement effort targeting illegal border crossings, human smuggling operations and violent crimes committed by individuals in the country illegally.
Of those charged, 6,404 people faced illegal entry charges, while 6,574 were alleged to have entered the country illegally after being previously removed. Many defendants had prior felony convictions involving narcotics, violent crimes and immigration offenses.
An additional 889 people were accused of engaging in human smuggling crimes, while 264 faced border security-related charges including assaulting officers, firearms offenses, smuggling, violent crimes and narcotics trafficking.
Operation Pick-Off targets repeat offenders
Some charges resulted from "Operation Pick-Off," an initiative targeting individuals in the country illegally who are on probation following state crime convictions. The enforcement effort, announced Aug. 25, 2025, led to federal charges against 67 individuals in the Rio Grande Valley area. Of those, 65 had returned to the country after being previously removed and allegedly committed additional crimes.
A subsequent roundup in Laredo resulted in 28 more arrests, including a convicted murderer.
"For those that want to come to this country without permission and then victimize American citizens once here, we are more than happy to accommodate them with a stay at a federal facility, followed by a one-way ticket home," Ganjei said.
Attacks on law enforcement officers
Several cases involve alleged attacks on federal agents and officers. Mexican nationals Juan Carmen Padron Mendez and Juan Carlos Padron Barron allegedly strangled a Border Patrol agent while en route to a Houston-area detention facility. Court documents allege Mendez wrapped his arm around the agent's neck as Barron grabbed the agent's belongings and fled before both were apprehended.
El Salvadorian national Walter Leonel Perez Rodriguez, 33, allegedly threw a 32-ounce stainless steel mug filled with hot coffee at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer, striking him in the face. The officer fell to the ground, lost consciousness and was treated for second-degree burns to his neck and arms and a laceration to his upper lip requiring 18 stitches.
Mexican national Javier Cornelio Cruz-Nava, 36, allegedly assaulted a federal officer in Houston during immigration enforcement operations Oct. 1, 2025. During a traffic stop, Cruz-Nava fled on foot before allegedly lunging at and throwing a Texas Department of Public Safety agent into a wrought-iron fence, causing two deep head wounds.
"These officers place their lives on the line every day to protect our communities and country, and they deserve to be protected in return," Ganjei said.
Human smuggling cases result in deaths
Texas resident Vicente Garcia Jr. and Jose Alexis Baeza-Combaluzier face charges in a human smuggling case that resulted in two deaths, including a 14-year-old child. The charges allege Garcia was to transfer one person to Baeza-Combaluzier, who had four others in his vehicle. After the vehicle stopped due to flooding, authorities approached, and Baeza-Combaluzier allegedly accelerated through the flooded area and drove into a canal. Two people drowned during the incident.
Other human smuggling cases involved dangerous conditions. Honduran national Greibein Alexis Pinot-Duarte allegedly smuggled more than four dozen people in a refrigerated tractor-trailer near Freer. Authorities discovered 51 people concealed in a cramped compartment beneath boxes of produce in the 55-degree trailer.
Kenneth Gamboa allegedly drove a box truck, hiding 40 people, to a Border Patrol checkpoint in Jim Hogg County. The vehicle had a false wall that created a hidden compartment, with multiple boards screwed shut to prevent occupants from escaping.
Brandon Lajohn Hargrove of Houston and Jose Luis Castellanos-Hercules, from Honduras, allegedly transported 55 people in a hidden compartment in a produce trailer near San Ygnacio. Heavy pallets blocked the access door, and people had to crawl through a small door to exit from behind the false wall.
Drug trafficking and weapons charges
Prosecutors also filed charges against 16 foreign nationals illegally residing in Houston for drug trafficking and weapons allegations. The operation targeted Venezuelan nationals linked to the "Anti-Tren" criminal organization, which is similar to the Tren de Aragua. Members allegedly engaged in attempted murder, violence and threats, with some charged with conspiring to distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine and various weapons crimes.
"The Southern District's twin priorities are securing our border and the eradication of violent crime," Ganjei said.
The cases were supported by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Border Patrol, 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 using 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 nine million people across 44,000 square miles, with divisions in Houston, Galveston, Victoria, Corpus Christi, Brownsville, McAllen and Laredo.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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