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The Justice Department announced on Tuesday the arrests of over 1,300 illegal immigrants in border states during the first week of May.
The detainments were part of the Trump administration’s “Operation Take Back America” designed to crack down on migrant criminal deportations.
“Since the inauguration of President Trump, the Department of Justice is playing a critical role in Operation Take back America, a nationwide initiative to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from perpetrators of violent crime,” a Justice Department press release stated.
“Last week, the U.S. Attorneys for Arizona, Central California, Southern California, New Mexico, Southern Texas, and Western Texas charged more than 1300 defendants with criminal violations of U.S. immigration laws,” it added.
The Southern District of Texas filed 256 cases, including 83 involving illegal reentry, primarily against individuals with prior felony convictions such as drug trafficking, firearms offenses and sexual or violent crimes. Another 160 face charges of unlawful entry, and 13 were charged in human smuggling operations, the press release noted.
In the Western District of Texas, 352 new immigration cases were filed. Among them, Venezuelan nationals David Ysturiz-Villalobos and Yilber Gabriel Caldera-Espinoza were arrested during a traffic stop and charged with illegal possession of a firearm by an unlawful alien, each facing up to 10 years in prison.
The District of Arizona brought charges against 287 defendants, including 107 for illegal reentry, 156 for unlawful entry, and 24 individuals accused of smuggling undocumented immigrants.
The Southern District of California reported 124 new border-related prosecutions. Notable arrests include Emma Alejandra Medina, charged with attempting to bring in undocumented immigrants by boat, and Jorge Alexandro Tellez, who allegedly tried to smuggle 286 pounds of methamphetamine across the border in a vehicle.
The Central District of California charged 45 defendants with illegal reentry, marking a dramatic 3,755 percent increase from 2024. Most had prior felony convictions.
In New Mexico, authorities filed charges against 232 individuals, including cases of illegal reentry, alien smuggling, and violations of military security regulations within a newly established National Defense Area.