Meza-Casillas Sentenced for Assaulting Border Agent

TUCSON, Ariz. – Sandra Meza-Casillas, 51, of Mexico, was handed a severe rebuke by United States District Judge Angela M. Martinez on August 11, with a sentence of 24 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for Assault on a Federal Officer.

The grim incident unfolded on April 16, 2025, in Nogales, Ariz., where the United States Border Patrol was engaged in a high-stakes chase. Agent(s) were striving to apprehend an individual who had dared to leap over the international border wall when they came upon Meza-Casillas lying prone on the border road.

As the agent approached, Meza-Casillas sprang into motion, darting east along the International Border road. Two male subjects seemed to be orchestrating her escape from behind the southern side of the wall. After a spirited pursuit, the determined agent caught up with her and reached out to effect an arrest. But as fate would have it, Meza-Casillas unleashed a spray of pepper spray directly onto the agent’s face.

This case is a stark reminder of the dangers faced by those on the front lines of America’s immigration enforcement. It is a part of Operation Take Back America, an unwavering national campaign that mobilizes the full might of the Department of Justice to combat illegal immigration, dismantle cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and safeguard communities from violent crime.

United States Border Patrol was instrumental in the investigation of this incident. Assistant U.S. Attorney Rui Wang, representing the District of Arizona, Tucson, took charge of the prosecution. The case number is CR-25-02225-TUC-AMM, with release number 2025-137_Meza-Casilla.

For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit here. Stay tuned to @USAO_AZ for breaking news and updates.