PHOENIX, Ariz. — Between May 10 and May 16, 2025, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona filed criminal charges against 310 individuals for immigration-related offenses. The weeklong enforcement effort included:
125 cases of illegal reentry into the United States,
170 cases of illegal entry into the United States, and
15 individuals charged with smuggling undocumented individuals into or within Arizona.
The effort involved multiple federal law enforcement agencies, including ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO), ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), U.S. Border Patrol, DEA, FBI, U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and ATF.
Notable Cases from the Week:
United States v. Angelica Ramos-Lopez
On May 10, Angelica Ramos-Lopez, a U.S. citizen, was charged with conspiracy to transport an illegal alien, birth certificate fraud, and aggravated identity theft. The day before, Ramos-Lopez approached the immigration checkpoint near Gila Bend with a child hidden under a blanket in the backseat. She presented a passport and birth certificate listing the child as her son. However, the child provided a different name and identified Ramos-Lopez as his stepmother. Ramos-Lopez later admitted that she did not know the child and was being paid to smuggle him into Phoenix. [Case Number: MJ-25-6234]
United States v. Yolanda Mendivil-Diaz
On May 13, Mendivil-Diaz was charged with reentry of a removed alien. She had previously been deported in 2014 following a felony conviction for conspiracy to sell or transfer narcotic drugs in Arizona. [Case Number: MJ-25-3192]
United States v. Jose Herrera Daniel
On May 14, Jose Herrera Daniel was charged with attempting to illegally export ammunition. Customs and Border Protection officers at the Douglas Port of Entry discovered 6,399 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition hidden in his vehicle. [Case Number: MJ-25-9008]
All defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
These cases fall under Operation Take Back America, a federal initiative that targets unlawful immigration and drug trafficking. The initiative consolidates resources from the Department of Justice, including the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), to combat transnational criminal activity and enhance public safety.
