HOUSTON – In a relentless push against illegal immigration, a total of 356 individuals have been charged in immigration and related matters along the South Texas border in just one week. U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei announced the massive sweep between Aug. 22-28, with nearly 70 of those cases stemming from ‘Operation Pick-Off’.
Among the 180 facing charges of illegal reentry after removal are numerous felons with convictions for narcotics, violent crime, and sexual offenses. Another 153 individuals face charges of illegal entry, while 13 defendants were charged with human smuggling, and ten others have varying charges, including firearms offenses and assaulting federal officers.
‘Operation Pick-Off’ specifically targets those who continue to reside in the U.S. on probation after state convictions for crimes like drug offenses, human smuggling, fraud, burglary, and assault. Federal charges were filed against 67 illegal aliens, 65 of whom had previously been removed but returned to commit more crimes.
Two Mexican nationals, Jairo Neftali Velasco-Gomez and Luis Alberto Mejia-Bertrand, face charges after reportedly returning to the U.S. following their removal in May. They are accused of illegal possession of a firearm and transporting/harboring illegal aliens, respectively.
Three other Mexicans, Edgar Omar Gallegos-Aboytes, Monico Espinoza-Martinez, and Julio Cesar Martinez-Arjona, were found near Edinburg and charged for previous illegal reentry crimes and assault. Honduran national Jose Alberto Medina-Atunez was also apprehended after reportedly returning from a prior removal for cocaine possession.
Angel Alejandro Salazar-Cantu, Alberto Karr-Magana, and Ramon Pena-Medina are among three more Mexican nationals who face charges of illegal reentry. They each had been previously removed but returned unlawfully, with potential sentences of up to 20 years in federal prison if convicted.
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Key Facts
- State: Texas
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Fraud & Financial Crimes|Violent Crime|Sex Crimes|Cybercrime|Public Corruption|Weapons|Human Trafficking|White Collar Crime|Organized Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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