Western District of Texas federal prosecutors have cracked down on immigration crimes, filing 255 new cases from Feb. 6 to Feb. 12, announced U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons.
Among the cases is Luis Soto-Leyva, a Mexican national who attempted to enter the United States through the Paso Del Norte Port of Entry (POE) in El Paso on Oct. 1, 2024, but was detained again in February 2026 after U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers observed him crossing the U.S.-Mexico border west of the Paso Del Norte POE.
A criminal complaint alleges that Soto-Leyva stated he had been an alien smuggler for approximately four years, making an average of $1,000 to $3,000 per week. He is now charged with one count of alien smuggling and one count of illegal re-entry.
Another case involves Brenda Nina Sanchez-Felix, a Lawful Permanent Resident Card holder who was arrested by U.S. Border Patrol agents after they located her pickup truck pulled over with a flat tire on TX-20. The maroon vehicle allegedly matched what a camera had captured near suspected alien activity eight miles west of the Tornillo POE. A criminal complaint alleges that agents noticed fresh wet mud on the trim of the vehicle door and several muddy footprints leading away from the vehicle, leading the agents to discover nine individuals hiding in the brush. Eight of the individuals stated they were in the U.S. illegally, while one stated he was a U.S. citizen. In September 2025, Sanchez-Felix was convicted of alien smuggling and sentenced to two years of probation.
Convicted felon Marco Antonio De La Vega-Macias, a Mexican national, was found approximately half a mile west of the Bridge of the Americas POE in El Paso on Feb. 9. He was removed from the U.S. for the fourth time on Sept. 29, 2023, following his second illegal re-entry conviction. De La Vega-Macias has a prior conviction for engaging in sexual contact with a minor and multiple theft charges.
Abraham Hermilindo Gallegos-Mendez, a Mexican national, was charged with one count of alien in possession of a firearm. On Feb. 9, Texas Department of Public Safety troopers conducted a traffic stop on a sedan. A criminal complaint alleges Gallegos-Mendez exited the front passenger door of the vehicle and ran. The troopers apprehended him a short distance from the initial stop and conducted a search of the front passenger area where Gallegos-Mendez had allegedly been sitting in the vehicle. The complaint alleges that the troopers located a blue jacket containing a loaded 9mm handgun.
Leonel Nazario Ramos-Guerrero, a Mexican national, was arrested near Maverick on Feb. 7 and charged with illegal re-entry. He was recently deported for the seventh time on Oct. 29, 2025. His criminal record includes illegal re-entry, two convictions for assault causing bodily injury, assault on a law enforcement officer, and resisting an officer.
Zeferino Turrubiates-Ramos, also a Mexican national, was arrested near Val Verde on Feb. 8 and charged with illegal re-entry. He was recently deported on Nov. 17, 2025—also for the seventh time. He was convicted in 2017 for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and in 2018 for illegal re-entry. In 2021, he was found to have violated previously imposed conditions of probation.
Ruben Villela Briones, a Mexican national, was taken into ICE custody on Feb. 6, after serving two years in the Travis County Jail for a stalking conviction. Briones has been previously removed from the U.S. three times with three additional voluntary returns. His criminal record also includes two assault convictions, resisting arrest, and illegal re-entry.
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Key Facts
- State: Texas
- Category: Human Trafficking|White Collar Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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