Texas – Federal prosecutors in the Southern District of Texas added another sweeping set of immigration and border security cases during the week of May 8-14, continuing an enforcement push that has kept one of the nation’s busiest U.S. attorney’s offices moving at a rapid pace.
Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck announced that 211 individuals were charged during the latest reporting period in cases tied to illegal entry, felony reentry, human smuggling, firearms violations and other immigration-related crimes. The Southern District of Texas, which covers 43 counties and more than 10 million people, said the new filings reflect intensified work both at the border and inside the district.
The largest share of the cases involved felony reentry after prior removal. Prosecutors said 133 people now face those charges, with many of them previously convicted of crimes such as narcotics offenses, immigration violations, violent crimes and other felony conduct. Another 49 criminal complaints were filed for illegal entry, while 26 people were accused of involvement in human smuggling. The remaining cases involve other immigration crimes and firearms-related allegations.
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Among the newly charged defendants are German Omar Elbir-Palma and Alejandro Perez-Miramontes, both Mexican nationals accused of illegally reentering the United States after being removed. Authorities said Elbir-Palma had been removed in December 2025 before being found near Escobares this week. Perez-Miramontes was allegedly discovered near Hidalgo. According to their complaints, both men have prior felony convictions for illegal reentry. Perez-Miramontes also has several burglary convictions, while Elbir-Palma was previously convicted of domestic assault. If convicted in the new cases, each could face up to 20 years in federal prison.
The announcement also included several sentencings. Jose Alcantar Esquivel Moreno and Esequiel Rueda-Ramirez, both Mexican nationals described as illegal alien felons, received prison terms of 54 months and 48 months, respectively, for unlawfully returning to the country. Prosecutors said both had been removed multiple times. Moreno has a prior felony conviction for aggravated assault-family violence, while Rueda-Ramirez has prior convictions involving evading arrest, marijuana distribution, cocaine delivery and illegal reentry.
In Houston, Luis Miguel Sanchez-Martinez was sentenced to 42 months. The court cited his dangerous conduct and lack of respect for the law. Prosecutors said he had multiple convictions for driving under the influence and was first removed in 2020.
The cases were referred or supported by several federal partners, including ICE Homeland Security Investigations, ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations, Border Patrol, the DEA, FBI, U.S. Marshals Service and ATF, with help from state and local agencies.
Officials said the prosecutions are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide Department of Justice initiative focused on illegal immigration, cartels, transnational criminal organizations and violent crime. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas said assistant U.S. attorneys from Houston, Galveston, Victoria, Corpus Christi, Brownsville, McAllen and Laredo continue working with law enforcement partners to prosecute these and other federal cases.
