Federal prosecutors in the Southern District of California have filed 84 border-related cases this week. The charges include assault on a federal officer, bringing in aliens for financial gain, reentering the U.S. after deportation, and importation of controlled substances.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California is one of the busiest federal districts due to a high volume of border-related crimes. This district covers San Diego and Imperial counties and shares a 140-mile border with Mexico. It includes the San Ysidro Port of Entry, which is the world’s busiest land border crossing.
The district also prosecutes proactive cases related to terrorism, organized crime, drugs, white-collar fraud, violent crime, cybercrime, human trafficking, and national security.
A few notable arrests from this week include:
On July 11, Nicolas Duarte-Moreno was arrested and charged with Bringing in Aliens for Financial Gain at the Otay Mesa Port of Entry. An undocumented immigrant was found hiding in his vehicle’s cargo area.
On July 15, Luis Angel Galvez Alvarez, Julio Cesar Oros Castro, and Francisco Javier Castro Acosta were arrested and charged with Importation of a Controlled Substance. They attempted to enter the U.S. with cocaine concealed in their vehicles.
On July 16, Jorge Ismael Valencia-Julian was arrested and charged with Deported Alien Found in the United States after being tracked by a Border Patrol agent.
Recent convictions include Ricardo Velez-Torres who was sentenced to 21 months for illegal reentry into the U.S., and Julio Leyva-Solis who received a sentence of 12 months plus one day for similar charges.
Federal law enforcement has focused immigration prosecutions on undocumented aliens engaged in criminal activity as part of Operation Take Back America priorities. Investigations are prioritized against those committing drug or firearm crimes or endangering community safety.
These cases were supported by federal law enforcement partners including Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE ERO), Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Border Patrol, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), along with state and local law enforcement partners.
Indictments are allegations; all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in court.
