In the first week of June, federal prosecutors in South Texas filed 202 immigration and border security cases, marking the most recent uptick in Operation Take Back America enforcement activities. The accusations cover a wide range of offenses, from unlawful reentry to human smuggling networks that reportedly transported scores of migrants through the Rio Grande Valley.
Major Human Smuggling Operations Dismantled
This Article Includes
- 1 Major Human Smuggling Operations Dismantled
- 2 Repeat Immigration Offenders Face Enhanced Penalties
- 3 Violence Against Law Enforcement Draws Severe Sentences
- 4 Broader Enforcement Trends Across Southwest Border
- 5 Identity Theft and Document Fraud Cases
- 6 Local Law Enforcement Partnerships Expand
- 7 Infrastructure and Resources
One of the most notable examples was the arrest of Luis Humberto Gonzalez-Sanchez in Mercedes, who allegedly hosted 16 guests in his home and paid $150 per person for his services. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Gonzalez-Sanchez allegedly sheltered over 100 people in the last six months, collecting up to $15,000 from the operation. If convicted, he may face up to ten years in federal prison.
The enforcement week also witnessed the sentencing of huge people smuggling conspiracies that operated stash houses throughout South Texas. Manuel Capetillo was sentenced to 85 months in prison and Michael Diaz to 70 months for their participation in smuggling over 65 persons, including six-year-old children. According to the Justice Department, the federal judge expressed concern about the “inhumane conditions” under which victims were transported, telling the defendants, “You thought of these people as cattle.”
Repeat Immigration Offenders Face Enhanced Penalties
Individuals with substantial criminal histories who had frequently crossed the border illegally were the subject of this week’s enforcement efforts. Six Mexican nationals—Oscar Vicente Perez-Lopez, Juan Manuel De La Cruz-Mejia, Jose Luis Tostado-Flores, Jesus Morales-Vargas, Jose Patricio Rios-Rojas, and Juan Manuel Alvarado-Gonzalez—were charged with illegal readmission after being previously deported between 2015 and 2023. According to federal prosecutors, everyone is now facing up to 20 years in jail after already serving federal sentences ranging from 15 to 46 months for immigration crimes.
Of the 202 cases filed between May 30 and June 5, prosecutors charged 129 people with illegal entrance and 63 with felony reentry after prior removal. According to the US Attorney’s Office, the majority of the defendants had past felony convictions for narcotics, violent crimes, and immigration issues.
Violence Against Law Enforcement Draws Severe Sentences
Federal prosecutors also obtained convictions for individuals who assaulted law enforcement officers during interactions. Oscar Adilio Sanchez-Rivera from El Salvador was sentenced to 36 months in jail for hitting a Border Patrol agent in the face during a November 2024 traffic stop in Rio Grande City, resulting in injuries that required surgery. U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei stated that the conviction shows that “assaulting law enforcement will not be tolerated.”
Broader Enforcement Trends Across Southwest Border
The June enforcement data show a significant increase in immigration prosecutions since the Trump administration launched Operation Take Back America in early 2025. According to the Department of Justice, southwestern border districts have consistently filed over 1,000 immigration cases per week since the program began, with the Southern District of Texas filing 200-300 cases per week.
Data from previous weeks reflect a consistent level of enforcement activity. In the third week of May, the Southern District filed 209 cases, whereas the fourth week of April saw 237 cases. Federal officials have stated that Operation Take Back America is a “nationwide initiative to repel the invasion of illegal immigration” and “achieve total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations.”
Identity Theft and Document Fraud Cases
The week’s cases also included major identity theft prosecutions. Carlos Bedolla Sanchez was sentenced to 40 months in prison for stealing a US citizen’s identity, with evidence indicating that he exploited the victim’s information since March 2009 to obtain state driver’s licenses, identification documents, and even a US passport. According to court records, the federal judge stated that past sanctions had not made Sanchez “repentant.”
Another uncommon case involves an adult guy posing as an unaccompanied youngster to obtain special housing accommodations. Elger Fabricio Cotto-Navarro claimed to be a kid when he illegally entered the nation in February, but an inquiry found that he was actually an adult. He has since been sentenced and is facing deportation proceedings.
Local Law Enforcement Partnerships Expand
Texas’ enforcement rise coincides with increased cooperation between federal and local police. According to the Texas Tribune, state lawmakers recently adopted legislation that requires most sheriffs to join into partnerships with Immigration and Customs Enforcement under the 287(g) program, which gives local law enforcement officials limited immigration authority. The proposal applies to approximately 234 of Texas’s 254 counties.
According to federal statistics, 73 Texas law enforcement agencies currently have 287(g) agreements in place with ICE. State authorities claim that increased collaboration solves both border security and public safety concerns, while critics fear racial profiling and a loss of community trust in law enforcement.
Infrastructure and Resources
The Southern District of Texas is one of the nation’s busiest federal court districts, encompassing 43 counties and serving nearly nine million people across 44,000 square miles. The district has seven divisions, with federal courts in Houston, Galveston, Victoria, Corpus Christi, Brownsville, McAllen, and Laredo. The United States Attorney’s Office reports that approximately 200 attorneys and support staff work directly with federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to prosecute immigration and border security cases.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the FBI, the United States Marshals Service, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives all work together to prosecute the cases. As outlined in Justice Department instructions, Operation Take Back America consolidates resources from current Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood programs.