A total of 459 cases related to immigration and border enforcement were filed from March 6-12, according to an announcement on Mar. 13 by Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck for the Southern District of Texas.
The announcement highlights ongoing efforts to address illegal entry, human smuggling, and other immigration-related offenses in the region. The majority of those charged face allegations of felony reentry after prior removal, with many having previous convictions for serious crimes such as narcotics offenses and violent acts.
Among those charged are three men from El Salvador, Honduras, and Mexico who allegedly reentered the United States after being previously removed. Authorities said Josue Alberto Villalobos-Bonilla and Brayan Arman Hernandez-Mendez were found near La Grulla without legal authorization; both had been removed in July 2025 and have prior convictions including sexual solicitation of a minor and evading arrest. Juan Barrientos-Soto was discovered near San Juan after a December 2025 removal, with past convictions for illegal reentry, theft, and assault. Another defendant, Jordan Velasco-Martinez, was found near Roma within two months of his last removal; he has prior convictions for felony driving while intoxicated and illegal reentry.
All defendants face up to 20 years in prison if convicted. In addition to new charges filed this week, Hugo Jimenez Jr., identified as the ringleader of a human smuggling organization operating from October 2024 to May 2025, received a federal prison sentence of 36 months for overseeing smuggling operations throughout South Texas.
Several others received sentences for illegal reentry or related crimes. These include Mexican nationals Edgar Jaramillo-Escobar, Jose Guadalupe Mendoza-Cabrera, Faustino Rosales-Hernandez—each with prior felony convictions—and Jose Mario Cervantes-Luna, who has multiple removals dating back to 2004 along with convictions for sexual assault of a minor. Sergio Benavides-Melgar pleaded guilty to illegal reentry after being found present in the country following removal; his record includes aggravated sexual assault of a child.
Federal law enforcement agencies such as Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI), Border Patrol, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), FBI, U.S. Marshals Service and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives contributed to these cases alongside state and local partners.
These prosecutions are part of Operation Take Back America—a nationwide initiative that aims to counter illegal immigration and criminal organizations while protecting communities from violent crime perpetrators.
The Southern District covers more than nine million people across 43 counties through offices located in Houston, Galveston, Corpus Christi, Laredo, McAllen and Brownsville according to its official website. The office employs over 200 attorneys focused on prosecuting federal crimes and handling civil matters on behalf of the government as described by the Department.
Notable former leaders include Alamdar Hamdani (2022-2025) and Ryan Patrick according to its official history page. The U.S. Attorney’s Office is part of the Department of Justice under the Attorney General as stated on its website.
Officials remind that indictments or criminal complaints are formal accusations only; all defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty through due process.
