Federal prosecutors in Arizona stayed busy this past week, moving forward with criminal charges against 155 people as part of a concentrated push to address illegal border crossings and human smuggling.
Between February 7 and February 13, 2026, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona rolled out a series of filings aimed at reinforcing federal immigration laws and deterring unauthorized entry into the country.
The bulk of the legal action focused on individuals returning to the U.S. after a prior deportation. Prosecutors filed 99 cases for illegal re-entry, while another 40 individuals were charged with entering the country illegally for the first time. Beyond individual crossings, the government took aim at the logistics of the border, filing 13 separate cases against 16 people accused of smuggling others into or through the state.
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These operations weren’t a solo effort. A wide net of federal agencies—including the U.S. Border Patrol, ICE, the FBI, and the DEA—provided the boots-on-the-ground support and investigations necessary to bring these cases to court.
Among the specific cases highlighted by officials was that of Luis Miguel Salas-Blanco. Records show Salas-Blanco was charged on February 10 with re-entering the country after a 2021 removal. His history includes prior felony convictions in Maricopa County for forgery and possessing a weapon while prohibited, for which he previously served two and a half years in prison.
In another instance, authorities caught up with a group near Interstate 8. A Border Patrol agent spotted five people walking north near exit 87, later finding them hiding under a tree dressed in camouflage clothing.
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One man in the group, Fileman Gomez-Casteneda, now faces charges for unlawfully bringing people into the United States. Investigators confirmed that all five individuals in that group were Mexican citizens without legal permission to be in the country.
These cases represent a single week in a broader, ongoing effort by federal law enforcement to manage the Arizona border through the judicial system.
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