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Another Week, Another 395 Charged in SDTX Border Enforcement Efforts, Texas 2024
HOUSTON – A total of 395 cases have been filed against 396 people in immigration and related matters from Feb. 27-March 5 in continuing enforcement actions to protect the southern border, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Criminal complaints allege 23 people were involved in human smuggling crimes. Another 165 individuals have allegedly entered the country illegally, while 206 face charges of felony reentry after prior removal. Most of those individuals have previous convictions for narcotics, violent crime, immigration offenses and more.
Some of those charged with felony reentry this week include two men who have prior convictions for assault with a deadly weapon and were just removed within the last several months, according to their criminal complaints. Authorities allegedly found Cuban national Onnis Alvarez Rubio near Penitas and El Salvadorian national Eduardo Neftali Rodriguez-Cubas near Havana with no authorization to be in the United States.
Four others also charged with felony reentry after prior removal include Mexican nationals Francisco Gonzalez-Angeles, Jesus Lerma-Villarreal, Oswaldo Odinez-Garcia, and Mario Alberto Munoz-Garcia. The complaints allege they have previous convictions such as illegal reentry, transporting/harboring aliens, evading arrest, or driving while intoxicated (third or more). Law enforcement discovered them all in the McAllen and surrounding areas, according to their charges.
All face up to 20 years in prison, if convicted.
Operation Pick-Off, an initiative launched in the Rio Grande Valley in August 2025, has now expanded to the Houston area. The operation targets illegal alien offenders who were serving terms of probation or supervision for other state crimes while unlawfully residing in the United States.
“Our office created Operation Pick-Off based upon an extremely simple concept—that a state probation sentence should not be a sanctuary from federal immigration laws. Take note, the Southern District of Texas is not a safe harbor for those who enter the United States illegally and commit crimes against our citizens,” said Ganjei.
Also announced this week was the sentencing of MS-13 gang member Ronald Alberto Rivas-Aguilar. He must now serve 23 months in federal prison for illegally reentering the United States. In 2016, Rivas and another MS-13 member conspired to murder a rival gang member in Fort Bend County.
Two other illegal alien felons were also ordered to federal prison for unlawfully reentering into the country. Honduran nationals Angel Arquimedez Coto-Martinez and Kevin Alexander Bueso-Medina received 38 months and 24 months, respectively. Both have multiple prior convictions for illegal reentry. Bueso-Medina was also previously convicted of importation and possession with intent to distribute marijuana, manufacture/delivery of cocaine and driving while intoxicated.
The cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals federal law enforcement resources to combat violent crime and immigration offenses.
Key Facts
- State: Texas
- Category: Human Trafficking|Immigration|Border Security
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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