Federal authorities in the Southern District of Texas have charged 363 individuals with immigration and related offenses during the week of February 13-19, according to U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Among these cases, 23 people are accused of human smuggling, while 141 face criminal complaints for illegal entry into the United States. An additional 193 individuals are charged with felony reentry after prior removal; many of them have previous convictions for felonies including narcotics, violent crime, and other immigration offenses. Other cases involve firearms violations and other immigration-related crimes.
Several Mexican nationals who had recently been removed from the country were among those charged with felony reentry. Complaints allege that Jorge Luis Gonzalez-Garcia and Cesar Eduardo Sanchez-Rodriguez were found in the McAllen area without authorization to be in the United States. Both men had prior convictions for illegal reentry and were previously removed in November 2025 and January 2026.
Four other individuals facing similar charges have prior drug convictions. Law enforcement found Cesar David Ramirez-Rodriguez and Irwin Francisco Ruiz-Gallegos near Mission, while Jesus Torres-Gomez was located near Weslaco and Arturo Saenz-Valle near Rio Grande City.
All six men could receive up to 20 years in federal prison if convicted.
The office also announced sentencing outcomes for several defendants. Wilson Antonio Vargas Argueta received a 24-month sentence for unlawfully reentering the country; he has previous convictions for assault, driving while intoxicated, fleeing law enforcement, and bit a police officer during an arrest in 2020 before being removed from the U.S., only to return illegally.
Odon Chavez-Esquivel, a four-time DUI offender first removed from the United States in May 2003 and subsequently returned illegally twice, was sentenced to serve 21 months following his fourth conviction for driving under the influence.
Juan Ignacio Miranda-Arente, a Mexican national with a criminal history dating back to 2008 including illegal reentry, assault, and indecency with a child, was also ordered to serve a 21-month sentence.
Honduran national Danilo Nunez-Avila pleaded guilty to unlawful reentry into the U.S. for a ninth time after being discovered on October 29, 2024 during an investigation into an assault involving a family member. He faces up to 20 years in federal prison due to multiple prior convictions for illegal reentry.
Other sentences included Salvadoran national Santos Alexis Parada Garcia (multiple domestic violence and drug possession convictions), Guatemalan national Manual Isais Sohom Tambriz (three illegal returns since first removal in 2016), and Mexican national Jose Apolinar Hernandez-Melo (convictions including DUI, controlled substance possession, deadly conduct).
These prosecutions were supported by agencies such as 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 along with state and local partners.
The cases are part of Operation Take Back America—a nationwide effort by the Department of Justice aimed at combating illegal immigration and transnational criminal organizations.
U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei stated: “Under current leadership, public safety and a secure border are the top priorities for this district. Enhanced enforcement both at the border and in the interior of the district have yielded aliens engaged in unlawful activity or with serious criminal histories, including convictions for human trafficking, sexual assault and violence against children.”
The Southern District of Texas remains one of the nation’s busiest federal districts; it covers over nine million residents across more than forty counties spanning approximately forty-four thousand square miles through its offices in Houston, Galveston, Corpus Christi, Laredo, McAllen and Brownsville (official website). The office is staffed by over two hundred attorneys focused on prosecuting federal crimes—such as those outlined above—and representing government interests in civil matters (official website).
Historically notable leaders at this office include Alamdar Hamdani (2022–2025) (official history page) among others (official history page). The office operates as part of the U.S. Department of Justice under supervision by the Attorney General (official website).
According to officials: “An indictment or criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.”
