Federal prosecutors in Arizona targeted 299 individuals with immigration-related criminal charges during a weeklong enforcement blitz from May 9 through May 15, 2026.
According to data released by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona, the surge in legal filings included 147 cases against individuals accused of illegally re-entering the country and 137 cases for illegal entry. Additionally, prosecutors filed 15 cases targeting 15 specific individuals accused of smuggling undocumented migrants into and across the state.
The multi-agency crackdown relied on support from several federal entities, including U.S. Border Patrol, ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE-ERO), Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI), the DEA, the FBI, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the ATF.
The operations are part of “Operation Take Back America,” a Department of Justice initiative designed to direct federal law enforcement resources toward curbing unauthorized immigration, disrupting transnational criminal organizations and cartels, and addressing violent crime in local communities.
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Several specific cases from the week’s operations were highlighted in federal complaints:
In United States v. Kyle Bowman Marsaw, authorities charged Marsaw on May 11 with transportation of illegal aliens for profit. Border Patrol agents initially spotted a Dodge Ram traveling southbound on the Tohono O’odham Nation on May 9, before it reversed direction 13 minutes later.
When agents tried to pull the truck over, the driver sped off, reaching speeds of 98 mph. Authorities called off the high-speed pursuit for safety but tracked the vehicle’s direction. About 30 minutes later, agents located the empty truck near a cemetery.
Utilizing a K9 unit and air support, agents tracked footprints into the brush, where they discovered Marsaw and two Mexican citizens wearing camouflage. Investigators determined Marsaw was the driver and had picked up the two passengers after a guide told them to wait in the brush.
In United States v. Derek Dialesandro Amperez-Toledo, a May 13 complaint charged Amperez-Toledo with transportation of illegal aliens for profit. On May 12, Border Patrol agents on the Tohono O’odham Nation pursued a black BMW suspected of human smuggling.
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The car fled from an attempted traffic stop, prompting agents to deploy a tire-deflation device. The BMW drove off the road for a quarter-mile before stopping, and the occupants fled on foot. Agents caught four individuals, including Amperez-Toledo and three Mexican citizens.
Investigators learned Amperez-Toledo drove the vehicle, told the passengers to hide on the floorboards to evade police, and ordered them to run once the car stopped.
In United States v. Ever Emmanuel Gonzalez, a criminal complaint filed on May 11 charged Gonzalez with both transportation of an illegal alien for profit and improper entry. The case began when an Arizona Department of Public Safety trooper stopped a silver Ford Fusion because its license plate was loose and flapping.
The driver, Gonzalez, presented a Mexican driver’s license and showed signs of nervousness. The vehicle held three other occupants.
The trooper requested assistance from Border Patrol, who verified that Gonzalez and all three passengers were Mexican citizens residing in the country without legal authorization.
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