PHOENIX, AZ — The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona filed 261 immigration-related criminal charges this week alone, as part of a large-scale enforcement operation that spanned April 5 through April 11.
The breakdown includes 103 cases of illegal re-entry, 140 charges of illegal entry, and 14 cases involving 18 individuals accused of smuggling undocumented immigrants, officials announced Friday.
“These charges reflect our commitment to enforcing immigration laws and holding accountable those who break them,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office said in a statement.
The cases were supported by multiple federal agencies, including ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations, ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), U.S. Border Patrol, DEA, FBI, U.S. Marshals Service, and the ATF.
Highlights from recent cases
United States v. Sanchez-Marcial: On April 8, Ofricino Sanchez-Marcial was arrested and charged with harboring illegal aliens. Prosecutors say he held a Guatemalan citizen against his will and demanded a $135,000 ransom from the victim’s family.
United States v. Renteria-Cruz: Also on April 8, Bonifacio Renteria-Cruz, a 48-year-old Mexican national, was charged with illegal re-entry after being deported in 2006 for aggravated assault. He had been a fugitive since 2009, when he was charged with homicide in Mexico. His arrest was part of an HSI operation led by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and ICE Deputy Director Madison Sheahan.
Authorities say these charges fall under Operation Take Back America, a federal initiative aimed at eliminating transnational criminal organizations, curbing illegal immigration, and combating violent crime.
As a reminder, officials emphasized that criminal complaints are not evidence of guilt, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven otherwise in court.
