Federal prosecutors in the Southern District of California have filed 90 border-related cases this week. These charges encompass transportation of illegal aliens, reentry into the U.S. after deportation, being a deported alien found in the U.S., and importation of controlled substances.
The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of California, which handles a significant volume of border-related crimes, is the fourth-busiest federal district. It covers San Diego and Imperial counties, sharing a 140-mile border with Mexico and includes the San Ysidro Port of Entry. This port is the world's busiest land border crossing, linking San Diego and Tijuana.
Beyond these reactive border-related crimes, the Southern District of California also handles a substantial number of proactive cases related to terrorism, organized crime, drugs, white-collar fraud, violent crime, cybercrime, human trafficking, and national security.
A selection of this week's border-related arrests includes the following incidents:
Mexican national Aurora Karina Sanchez Quioano was arrested on March 23, 2025. She was charged with illegally entering the U.S. after previously being deported, according to U.S. Border Patrol, at Dog Beach in Ocean Beach. Sanchez was initially deported on August 8, 2024.
On March 23, 2025, Angel Alonso Peralta Fuerte and Juan Jose Diaz-Guerena, both Mexican citizens, were arrested and charged with smuggling aliens for financial gain. This followed their detention by the U.S. Coast Guard while operating a vessel with 19 individuals on board. Those on the vessel, who admitted they were Mexican citizens without lawful U.S. entry documents, were arrested by the U.S. Border Patrol in San Diego. Peralta was previously deported on February 26, 2025, just weeks before the arrest.
Xavier Garcia, a U.S. citizen, was arrested on March 26, 2025, as he attempted re-entry into the U.S. from Mexico at the Otay Mesa Port of Entry. He faces drug importation charges after over 500 pounds of methamphetamine were found in his vehicle.
Federal law enforcement efforts in immigration prosecutions are focused on undocumented aliens engaged in criminal activities in the U.S., including those with drug and firearm crimes, serious criminal records, or active warrants. Authorities prioritize investigations and prosecutions against drug, firearm, and human smugglers who endanger community safety.
These immigration cases were referred by federal law enforcement agencies like Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE ERO), Customs and Border Protection, the U.S. Border Patrol, the DEA, the FBI, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). This effort is supported by state and local law enforcement partners.
It is important to note that indictments and criminal complaints are merely allegations. Defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.