Texas Border Business
U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Texas
HOUSTON – A total of 246 cases have been filed related to immigration and border security from March 14-20, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Of those, 91 face allegations of illegally re-entering the country with the majority having felony convictions such as narcotics, violent and/or sexual crimes and prior immigration offenses, among others. A total of 145 face charges of illegally entering the country, eight cases involve various instances of human smuggling, and the remainder relate to other immigration matters and making false statements.
Among those charged include Rogelio Jaimes-Rodriguez – a Mexican male who was allegedly found in the United States near Roma having previously been removed Feb. 12. The charges allege he had been previously convicted of being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm. If convicted of this illegal reentry charge, he faces up to 20 years in prison. Onesimo Salazar-Torres is also a Mexican citizen charged with illegal reentry. The criminal complaint alleges he was found in the United States near Edinburg having previously been removed in 2018 and has a conviction of indecency with child sexual contact.
Other relevant cases include two more illegal aliens with significant criminal histories that were sentenced in McAllen this week after being previously removed and unlawfully reentered again. Jose Eduardo Soto-Hernandez has prior felony convictions for sexual assault of a child and possession of a controlled substance. He has been removed from the United States two previous times, most recently in 2019. He will serve 27 months, while Salvador Eduardo Gonzalez-Ledezma was ordered to serve 46 months. He has prior felony convictions for assault family violence impeding breath and harboring aliens. Authorities removed him most recently in 2022, but he has a total of four prior removals.
In Houston, Carlos Bedolla Sanchez pleaded guilty to using the identity of a U.S. citizen to fraudulently obtain a passport and identification. As part of the identity theft, he provided the name, Social Security number, date of birth and birthplace on the passport applications and fraudulently certified he was a citizen or non-citizen national of the United States. Sanchez began using the victim’s identity in approximately March 2009 to obtain state driver’s licenses and other U.S. identification.
On Feb. 17, a Corpus Christi federal jury returned a guilty verdict against a South Texas man for transporting illegal aliens. They deliberated for less than 45 minutes before convicting Alberto Chavez Jr. following a one-day trial Feb. 17. Chavez had claimed his two passengers were his cousins, but evidence proved they were not related to him and were actually Honduran citizens illegally present in the United States. Testimony further revealed Chavez bought them clothes to make them appear more “American” and coached them on what to say when trying to pass through the checkpoint.
Another illegal alien was indicted in Laredo in a multi-year human smuggling conspiracy. The charges allege Giovana Lozano Hernandez used multiple cellular devices that had numerous digital images of paper ledgers regarding the scheme. Voice messages with co-conspirators also allegedly detailed the smuggling activity including the many illegal aliens who had already been transported and housed for whom there needed to be financial accountability. Law enforcement also found video messages depicting the transportation of illegal aliens, according to the allegations.
These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) – Homeland Security Investigations, ICE – Enforcement and Removal Operations, Border Patrol, Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI, U.S. Marshals Service, Department of Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General 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. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.
Under current leadership, public safety and a secure border are the top priorities for the Southern District of Texas (SDTX). Enhanced enforcement both at the border and in the interior of the district have yielded aliens engaged in unlawful activity or with serious criminal history, including human trafficking, sexual assault and violence against children.
The SDTX remains one of the busiest in the nation. It represents 43 counties and more than nine 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.
Updated March 21, 2025
