Federal prosecutors in the Southern District of California have filed 116 border-related cases this week. The charges include transportation of illegal aliens, bringing in aliens for financial gain, receipt of bribes by public officials, reentry of deported individuals, being a deported alien found in the U.S., and importation of controlled substances.
The U.S. Attorney's Office in this district is one of the busiest in the nation, handling a high number of border-related crimes due to its location. This district covers San Diego and Imperial counties, sharing a lengthy border with Mexico, and includes the San Ysidro Port of Entry, the world’s busiest land border crossing which connects San Diego and Tijuana.
Apart from border-related offenses, this district prosecutes cases involving terrorism, organized crime, white-collar fraud, violent crime, cybercrime, human trafficking, national security, and drugs. "Recent developments in those and other significant areas of prosecution can be found here."
Among the recent arrests, six Mexican nationals were detained on April 10 for immigration offenses. They were apprehended near the Otay Mesa Port of Entry but absconded while handcuffed. They were later recaptured and identified as Jose Lastra Palafox, Pedro Orlando Aguilar-Vazquez, Javier Eduardo Jimenez Gonzalez, Jose Javier Solis Jardon, Joel Alonso Soria-Garcia, and Lazaro Velazquez Morales.
On April 6, Jose Manuel Guzman, a U.S. citizen, was charged with importation of a controlled substance after being stopped at the Otay Mesa Port of Entry with 115 packages of methamphetamine concealed in his vehicle.
Further arrests occurred on April 7, including Raul Vallejo-Isordia, Victor Manuel Quintero Sanez, Noe Avila, Jose Juan Cisneros-Cisneros, and Valentin Gonzalez-Elizalde, who were implicated in a smuggling operation intercepted by the U.S. Coast Guard. Additionally, Dennis Geovanny Marquez-Cordova from Honduras was charged after being found in the U.S. post-deportation.
Federal law enforcement's focus includes prosecuting undocumented individuals involved in criminal activities, particularly drug and firearms crimes, and those with serious criminal histories or active warrants. Authorities also prioritize investigations against those endangering community safety and the safety of law enforcement officers.
These immigration cases were handled with the support of multiple federal law enforcement partners, including the Department of Homeland Security Investigations, Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI, and the U.S. Marshals Service, among others. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.