Armando Montoya-Cardozo, Human Smuggling, Texas 2023

⏱ 2 min read

Between May 1-7, a total of 256 cases were filed for immigration and border security-related crimes in the Southern District of Texas. The charges include 40 people allegedly involved in human smuggling, with many of the defendants having prior felonies such as narcotics and violent crime. The cases were filed in the Houston area, with some defendants found near Roma and Escobares. The arrests were part of Operation Take Back America, a federal effort to crack down on immigration-related crimes.

Three of the filed cases allegedly involve illegal aliens found in the McAllen area. Armando Montoya-Cardozo from Bolivia was discovered near Roma with no authorization to be in the United States, despite having a prior conviction for carnal knowledge of a minor. Juan Jose German-Carrillo, a Mexican national, was also found near Roma, despite having been removed from the US in January. Rene Villarreal-Carmona, another Mexican national with prior drug convictions, was discovered near Escobares.

If convicted, all three men face up to 20 years in federal prison. In addition to the new cases, a three-time DUI offender, Jose Alejandro Luna-Rangel, was ordered to federal prison in Houston federal court. The Mexican national was previously removed from the US in 2016, but illegally returned and was convicted for assault-family violence and felony driving while intoxicated.

The US Attorney’s Office announced the charges, which include 46 criminal complaints for illegal entry and 180 people facing charges of felony reentry after prior removal. The majority of those charged have prior felonies, highlighting the need for increased border security and immigration enforcement.

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