A weeklong federal crackdown in South Texas has resulted in criminal charges against 211 individuals for immigration and border security violations, federal officials announced. The enforcement surge, which ran from May 8 to 14, targeted repeat immigration offenders, human smugglers, and individuals with violent criminal pasts.
Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck announced that the Southern District of Texas filed 49 criminal complaints for illegal entry and 133 felony charges for reentry after a prior removal. Federal prosecutors noted that the majority of those facing reentry charges possess prior convictions for offenses including narcotics, immigration violations, and violent crimes.
Additionally, 26 individuals were charged with human smuggling, while the remaining cases involve various immigration infractions and firearms violations.
Among those recently charged are two Mexican nationals, German Omar Elbir-Palma and Alejandro Perez-Miramontes, who both face up to 20 years in federal prison if convicted of illegal reentry. According to court documents, Elbir-Palma, who has a prior conviction for domestic assault, was deported in December 2025 and apprehended this week near Escobares.
Perez-Miramontes, who has multiple burglary convictions, was found near Hidalgo. Both men have previous felony convictions for illegal reentry.
READ: Georgia Woman Sentenced To Federal Prison In Tennessee For Cruel Adoption Hoax
The federal district also concluded several high-profile sentencings this week for individuals who unlawfully re-entered the country after multiple deportations. Jose Alcantar Esquivel Moreno received a 54-month prison sentence, and Esequiel Rueda-Ramirez was sentenced to 48 months. Moreno’s criminal record includes a felony conviction for aggravated assault-family violence. Rueda-Ramirez’s history includes convictions for evading arrest, illegal reentry, and possession with intent to distribute both marijuana and cocaine.
In a separate Houston case, Luis Miguel Sanchez-Martinez was sentenced to 42 months in federal prison. Court records indicate Sanchez-Martinez was first removed from the United States in 2020 and holds multiple convictions for driving under the influence of alcohol.
The prosecutions are part of Operation Take Back America, a broader Department of Justice initiative designed to secure the border, dismantle transnational criminal organizations, and address violent crime. The U.S. Attorney’s Office stated that its current enforcement strategy prioritizes public safety by targeting individuals in the border and interior regions who have histories of human trafficking, sexual assault, and violence against children.
The Southern District of Texas spans 43 counties, covers 44,000 square miles, and serves over 10 million residents, making it one of the busiest federal prosecutor’s offices in the nation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys across seven regional divisions—Houston, Galveston, Victoria, Corpus Christi, Brownsville, McAllen, and Laredo—coordinated the operations.
Investigation and enforcement support for these cases involved a coalition of federal, state, and local agencies, including Border Patrol, Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and Enforcement and Removal Operations, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the FBI, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Please make a small donation to the Tampa Free Press to help sustain independent journalism. Your contribution enables us to continue delivering high-quality, local, and national news coverage.
Sign up: Subscribe to our free newsletter for a curated selection of top stories delivered straight to your inbox
