PHOENIX, Ariz. – In a weeklong enforcement operation from March 8 to March 14, 2025, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona has filed immigration-related criminal charges against 232 individuals. These charges include 92 cases of illegal reentry, 124 cases of illegal entry, and 11 cases involving 15 individuals accused of smuggling undocumented immigrants into or through Arizona. Additionally, one defendant has been charged with assaulting a Border Patrol agent.
The cases stem from investigations conducted by federal law enforcement agencies, including ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO), ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), U.S. Border Patrol, the DEA, FBI, U.S. Marshals Service, and ATF.
Notable Cases from This Week’s Enforcement
United States v. Edwin Andres Valdez-Gutierrez: A federal grand jury in Phoenix indicted Edwin Andres Valdez-Gutierrez, a Mexican national, on two charges: Assault on a Federal Officer and Reentry of a Removed Alien. On February 10, 2025, Valdez-Gutierrez allegedly rammed an ICE vehicle with his car while officers attempted to apprehend him. Though the crash caused significant damage, no officers were injured. (Case No. CR-25-00392-PHX-DLR).
United States v. Jorge Fontes-Garcia: Jorge Fontes-Garcia, a 25-year-old from Sonora, Mexico, faces four charges, including Bringing an Illegal Alien to the U.S. Resulting in Death. Authorities allege that Fontes-Garcia acted as a foot guide, leading a group of eight undocumented migrants across the border near Tacna, Arizona. One individual succumbed to heat exposure before being found by Border Patrol. (Case No. CR-23-01322-PHX-JAT).
United States v. Carlos Rene Montes & Miguel Angel Sesma: Investigators arrested Carlos Rene Montes (a U.S. citizen from Tucson) and Miguel Angel Sesma (a legal permanent resident from Mexico) on fentanyl trafficking charges. On March 10, 2025, authorities seized over 700,000 fentanyl-laced pills hidden in roofing shingles inside Sesma’s truck and Montes’ Tucson residence. (Case No. 25-MJ-6099-PHX-ASB).
Federal prosecutors emphasize that criminal complaints and indictments do not imply guilt—all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
