HOUSTON — This is an official press release from the U.S. Department of Justice (USAO - Texas, Southern), published as received.
HOUSTON – The Southern District of Texas has filed 285 cases in immigration and border security-related matters from May 29-June 4, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.
Of those charged, 79 people face illegal entry charges, while another 179 allegedly reentered the United States after prior removal. Many have felony convictions involving narcotics trafficking, violent crimes and immigration offenses. An additional 27 people face charges of engaging in human smuggling, while the remaining six cases are related to other immigration offenses.
Among the new matters are three men from various countries, all charged with felony reentry into the United States after removal.
Authorities allegedly found Guatemalan national William Perez-Perez and Mexican national Edgar Guadalupe Cruz-Velasco in the McAllen area without legal authorization to be in the United States. According to the criminal complaints, both had been previously removed April 17 and April 19, respectively. Perez-Perez has a prior conviction for battery on law enforcement, while Cruz-Velasco was convicted of first degree assault and battery.
Law enforcement also allegedly discovered Honduran national Osman Adalid Soto Benites near Progreso after he was removed Oct. 31, 2025. Court records reflect he has a prior conviction for failure to register as a sex offender.
Another illegal alien charged in a separate case is Mexican national Rafael Pineda-Ruiz. According to the complaint, authorities removed him in September 2005. The charges allege Pineda-Ruiz has a prior conviction for conspiracy to distribute narcotics and was sentenced to 70 months in prison. Law enforcement allegedly discovered him near Roma without legal authorization to be in the country.
If convicted, all four face up to 20 years in prison.
In addition to the new cases, Mexican national Cruz Alberto De La Garza pleaded guilty to harboring illegal aliens in a Laredo stash house under dangerous conditions that resulted in the death of an individual. The investigation began after two illegal aliens were dropped off at an emergency room, one of whom was pronounced dead. Authorities later discovered 30 additional illegal aliens in a tractor-trailer’s sleeper compartment and determined they had been housed in extreme heat with little to no air conditioning, limited food and water and inadequate ventilation. He faces up to life in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
A federal jury in Corpus Christi found a mother and daughter guilty of human smuggling. Evidence showed Enedelia Garcia and Ashley Garcia drove the illegal alien through the Border Patrol checkpoint near Kingsville. The illegal alien later testified he had been smuggled into the United States and expected the pair to transport him to Houston. The jury saw evidence Ashley Garcia texted a friend during the smuggling event and said “not to ask” about her trip to Houston. Both women face up to 10 years in federal prison.
The cases are referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations, ICE - Enforcement and Removal Operations, BP, Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI, U.S. Marshals Service and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with additional assistance from state and local law enforcement partners.
The cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Under current leadership, public safety and a secure border are the top priorities for this district. Enhanced enforcement both at the border and in the interior of the district have yielded aliens engaged in unlawful activity or with serious criminal histories, including convictions for human trafficking, sexual assault and violence against children.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas remains one of the busiest in the nation. It represents 43 counties and more than 10 million people covering 44,000 square miles. Assistant U.S. Attorneys from all seven divisions including Houston, Galveston, Victoria, Corpus Christi, Brownsville, McAllen and Laredo work directly with our law enforcement partners on the federal, state and local levels to prosecute the suspected offenders of these and other federal crimes.
An indictment or criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
