During operations in Arizona from April 5 through April 11, 2025, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona filed immigration-related criminal charges against 261 individuals. These cases involved 103 filings concerning unlawful re-entry into the United States and 140 charges for illegal entry. Additionally, 14 cases were filed against 18 people for smuggling illegal aliens within the District of Arizona.
These prosecutions were supported by federal law enforcement partners such as the Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE ERO), ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
Recent significant cases include United States v. Sanchez-Marcial, in which Ofricino Sanchez-Marcial was arrested on April 8, 2025, and charged with harboring illegal aliens. The complaint alleges Sanchez-Marcial confined a Guatemalan citizen illegally in the U.S., sending threatening messages to demand a $135,000 ransom from family members.
In the case of United States v. Renteria-Cruz, Bonifacio Renteria-Cruz, a 48-year-old Mexican citizen, was arrested on April 8, 2025, for illegal re-entry. The arrest followed a Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) operation led by Secretary Kristi Noem and ICE Deputy Director Madison Sheahan. Previously deported after a 2006 aggravated assault conviction, Renteria-Cruz was a fugitive facing homicide charges in Mexico until his capture.
A criminal complaint is a charge of criminal activity with no inference of guilt. Defendants remain innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt by a jury.
These cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a national effort using the Department of Justice’s full resources to combat illegal immigration, dismantle cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect communities. The initiative integrates resources from the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).