During a week-long enforcement operation from July 19 to July 25, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona charged 135 individuals with immigration-related crimes. The United States filed charges in 67 cases involving illegal re-entry and charged 50 individuals for illegal entry into the country. In efforts to deter unlawful immigration, 11 cases were filed against 13 people involved in smuggling illegal aliens within Arizona. Additionally, five individuals faced charges in three separate cases for assaulting federal officers.
The operations were supported by several federal law enforcement agencies, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE ERO), ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), U.S. Border Patrol, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
Notable cases included United States v. Santos Mendivil Contreras, Jr., et al., where Santos Mendivil Contreras, Jr., and Emanuel Mendivil Cervantes were charged with assaulting federal officers after an altercation during a traffic stop initiated by HSI agents on July 22.
In another case, United States v. Benigno Armando Rios Pacheco, et al., Benigno Armando Rios Pacheco and Janeth Karina Montoya Estrada faced charges after DEA agents investigating Rios conducted a traffic stop on July 24.
These cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative aimed at combating illegal immigration and dismantling cartels and transnational criminal organizations.
All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in court.
