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Arizona charges 260 in immigration enforcement week

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Wednesday, April 2, 2025

Arizona charges 260 in immigration enforcement week

Attorneys & Judges
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Rachel C. Hernandez Acting United States Attorney for the District of Arizona | U.S. Attorney for the District of Arizona

During a recent enforcement operation from March 22 to March 28, 2025, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Arizona charged 260 individuals in connection with immigration-related crimes. According to the office, there were 96 cases of illegal re-entry by aliens, 155 cases of illegal entry, and nine cases involving individuals charged with smuggling illegal aliens across or within the District of Arizona.

These charges were brought with the support of multiple federal law enforcement agencies, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE ERO), ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), U.S. Border Patrol, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).

One significant case involved Greiby Melissa Barcelo-Velasquez, a Columbian national, who was sentenced to 30 months in prison on March 25, 2025. Barcelo-Velasquez was charged with conspiracy to encourage and induce illegal entry into the U.S. She had been involved in smuggling over 100 illegal aliens from Columbia since June 2023 using her travel business, Baul Travel SAS. This case, identified as CR-24-00392-PHX-JJT, was managed by Joint Task Force Alpha.

"These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners," the U.S. Attorney's Office stated, underscoring the collaborative effort required to tackle immigration offenses.

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