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Capital Murderer Back on US Soil: 306 Border Cases Filed
HOUSTON, TX – A chilling reminder of the porous southern border: Luis Pablo Estolano-Velasquez, a Mexican national with a prior conviction for capital murder of multiple persons, is back in U.S. custody after illegally re-entering the country just months after being removed. He’s one of 306 individuals facing federal charges in Texas related to immigration and border security, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei this week.
The surge in cases, filed between September 5-11, reveals a grim pattern. A staggering 126 individuals are accused of illegally re-entering the U.S. after deportation – many with extensive criminal histories. Authorities report felony convictions among these repeat offenders include narcotics trafficking, violent crimes, sexual offenses, and previous immigration violations. Another 162 face charges for illegal entry, 14 are linked to human smuggling operations, and four are facing charges involving firearms and other immigration-related crimes.
The swift rearrest of Estolano-Velasquez, who served 10 years for his horrific crime and was removed in June, is particularly alarming. He was allegedly found near Pharr, Texas, just this week. Other recent re-entrants include Adan Jaimes-Gomez and Jose Alvarado-Aguirre (removed June 23 and August 21 respectively) and Franklin Geovanny Escobar-Matias and Jose Mauricio Garcia-Martinez (removed July 27 and August 1). All have prior convictions ranging from illegal reentry to robbery and drug manufacturing. Juan Gerardo Garcia-Torres, Juan Manuel Zamudio-Villasenor, and Cesar Ernesto Amendola-Hernandez were also apprehended in the Rio Grande Valley, all with prior illegal reentry convictions.
Beyond simple re-entry, the Southern District of Texas has also indicted Eduardo Balderas-Zuniga, 33, a Mexican national, for illegal reentry following a second alleged DWI and a fatal crash. Arrested in Harris County in May, he was removed from the country only to allegedly return and cause the death of an innocent civilian while driving drunk. Each of these defendants faces up to 20 years in federal prison if convicted.
The crackdown isn’t limited to individual border crossings. Eight members of the notorious MS-13 gang, all El Salvadorian citizens illegally residing in Houston, have pleaded guilty to racketeering charges involving multiple murders and witness tampering. The gang used brutal methods – machetes, baseball bats, and strangulation – to expand their influence, sending gruesome photos of their victims to leaders in El Salvador, sometimes after mutilation. Three will serve 50 years, while others face 35-50 year sentences. “This case demonstrates the tremendous public safety threat that MS-13 and other criminal terrorist organizations pose to American communities,” Ganjei stated. “These are people without remorse or pity.”
In Brownsville, Jorge Huerta-Garcia, a Mexican citizen illegally residing in the Weslaco area, received a 204-month sentence after being convicted of illegal reentry, conspiracy to distribute over five kilograms of cocaine, and possession of a firearm as a prohibited person. Indicted in March 2024 for illegal reentry, Huerta-Garcia was simultaneously investigated for his involvement in a drug trafficking organization linked to a 40-kilogram cocaine shipment. He was previously convicted in 2017 of being a felon in possession of a firearm and subsequently removed from the United States. The investigations are ongoing.
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Key Facts
- State: Texas
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Violent Crime|Human Trafficking|Organized Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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