32 Charged with Illegal Reentry, 9 with Alien Smuggling, New Mexico 2025

ALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico - In a significant crackdown on immigration crimes, the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico announced the prosecution of 32 individuals for Illegal Reentry After Deportation (8 U.S.C. 1326), 9 for Alien Smuggling (8 U.S.C. 1324), and 22 for Illegal Entry (8 U.S.C. 1325) in a one-week period ending August 15, 2025.

Additionally, 46 individuals were charged with Illegal Entry (8 U.S.C. 1325), violation of a military security regulation (50 U.S.C. 797), and Entering Military, Naval, or Coast Guard Property (18 U.S.C. 1382), arising from the newly established National Defense Area in New Mexico.

Many of the defendants charged pursuant to 18 U.S.C. 1326 had prior criminal convictions for armed robbery, arson, drug trafficking, and illegal reentry. These cases are part of the nationwide initiative, Operation Take Back America.

Significant enforcement actions were also taken in Albuquerque and Deming. An Albuquerque couple was indicted for conspiring to harbor illegal aliens and laundering proceeds from human smuggling through real estate. In Deming, a teenager was charged with firearms and drug trafficking offenses following an undercover purchase that included an ounce of cocaine, a handgun, and a Glock switch conversion device, as well as a high-speed flight from a U.S. Border Patrol checkpoint.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys from Albuquerque and Las Cruces worked directly with federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to prosecute immigration-related and other federal offenses.

The District of New Mexico consists of 33 counties and shares 180 miles of international border with Mexico. Under current leadership, public safety and a secure border are the top priorities for the District of New Mexico.

Enhanced enforcement both at the border and in the interior of the district have yielded aliens engaged in unlawful activity or with serious criminal history, including human trafficking, sexual assault, and violence against children.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-nm/pr/us-attorneys-office-district-new-mexico-weekly-immigration-and-border-crimes-report-22