PHOENIX, AZ – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona has charged 227 defendants with immigration-related criminal offenses from March 1 to March 7, 2025.
Breakdown of Charges
- 92 cases of illegal re-entry into the U.S.
- 120 cases of unlawful entry into the U.S.
- 12 cases involving 15 individuals charged with alien smuggling.
- One case of assaulting a Border Patrol agent.
These charges stem from federal law enforcement efforts involving U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Border Patrol, Homeland Security Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Notable Cases
United States v. Gerardo Tejada-Calleja
- Charges: Assault on a Federal Officer, Improper Entry by an Alien.
- Incident: On March 2, 2025, Tejada-Calleja was found hiding under a tree near Vamori, Arizona. When a Border Patrol agent attempted to apprehend him, Tejada-Calleja grabbed the agent’s radio and gun belt, took the agent down to the ground, and fled before later being captured.
- Case Number: 25-4720 MJ
United States v. Edgar Guadalupe Jimenez-Aguilar
- Charges: Conspiracy to Transport Illegal Aliens, Possession with Intent to Distribute Heroin.
- Incident:
- Identified as a stash house operator and human smuggling coordinator in Phoenix.
- On October 3, 2024, officers stopped a vehicle with four smuggled individuals, two hidden in the trunk.
- The driver admitted to multiple smuggling trips coordinated by Jimenez-Aguilar.
- On January 28, 2025, Jimenez-Aguilar was arrested in Mesa with 297 grams of black tar heroin in his vehicle.
- Case Number: CR-25-00284-PHX-DJH
Legal Disclaimer
A criminal complaint is not evidence of guilt. Defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This enforcement action highlights the federal government’s commitment to combatting illegal immigration, smuggling, and border-related crimes.
