Federal prosecutors in South Texas have filed 363 immigration-related criminal cases in just one week, marking a significant enforcement action as part of a nationwide crackdown on illegal border crossings.
U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei announced the cases filed between Jan. 30 and Feb. 5, with charges ranging from illegal reentry to human smuggling. The majority of defendants have previous felony convictions for drug crimes, violent offenses, and various immigration violations.
Of the total cases, 220 people face felony charges for reentry after removal, while 116 are accused of illegal entry. An additional 23 individuals are charged with human smuggling, and six face other immigration-related crimes.
Among those charged is Honduran national Nixon Ariel Villalobos-Quijada, who allegedly attempted to unlawfully reenter the United States within six months of his most recent removal on Aug. 17, 2025. Authorities discovered him near Roma without legal authorization, according to the criminal complaint. He has a prior conviction for tampering with or fabricating physical evidence.
Two Mexican nationals with previous felony convictions also face illegal reentry charges. Alvaro Zavala-Valdez and Ricardo Enede Rodriguez-Alvarez were both found in the McAllen area this week, despite being previously removed in 2013 and 2022, respectively.
Zavala-Valdez has a previous conviction for illegal reentry, while Rodriguez-Alvarez was sentenced for transportation and harboring of illegal aliens, according to court documents.
If convicted, all three men face up to 20 years in federal prison.
The cases involved multiple federal agencies, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI, U.S. Marshals Service and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, along with state and local law enforcement partners.
These prosecutions are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide Department of Justice initiative aimed at combating illegal immigration, eliminating cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protecting communities from violent crime.
The enhanced enforcement efforts have targeted individuals 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 covers 43 counties and more than 9 million people across 44,000 square miles, making it one of the busiest federal prosecutor offices in the nation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys from seven divisions work with law enforcement partners at all levels to prosecute federal crimes.
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