PHOENIX, Ariz. – During the week of enforcement operations from Oct. 17 through Oct. 23, 2026, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona brought immigration-related criminal charges against 318 individuals. Specifically, the United States filed 150 cases in which aliens illegally re-entered the United States, and the United States also charged 147 aliens for illegally entering the United States. In its ongoing effort to deter unlawful immigration, the United States filed 17 cases against 21 individuals responsible for smuggling illegal aliens into and within the District of Arizona.
These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE-ERO), ICE- Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI), U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the FBI, the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
Recent matters of interest include:
United States v. Leodan Martinez. Leodan Martinez was charged by criminal complaint on Oct. 19, with Transportation of an Illegal Alien for Profit. On Oct. 18, Border Patrol Agents (BPAs) attempted to stop the driver of a GMC Yukon for an immigration inspection. The vehicle had been observed traveling south on Federal Route 19 on the Tohono O'odham nation and returning north approximately one hour later. The driver, Martinez, failed to yield to BPAs and accelerated to speeds of approximately 90-100 mph. BPAs then successfully deployed an immobilization device on the vehicle. Martinez and his passengers, who were dressed in camouflage clothing, got out of vehicle and tried to run away. BPAs were able to apprehend everyone and determined that the passengers were citizens of Honduras and Mexico, illegally present in the United States. [Case Number: 26-MJ-08145]
United States v. Carlos Guadalipe Quinonez-Pillado. Carlos Guadalipe Quinonez-Pillado was charged by criminal complaint on Oct. 23, with Transportation of an Illegal Alien. On Oct. 21, a BPA observed a Toyota Tacoma driving northbound on Federal Route 15. The Toyota was closely following a Cadillac XT5 SUV. Based on the agent’s observations, the BPA activated their emergency lights and performed a human smuggling inspection. The vehicle was occupied by the driver, later identified as Quinonez, and two adult passengers. The passengers were wearing camouflaged clothing and protective coverings over their shoes. BPAs determined that Quinonez and the two passengers were citizens of Mexico and illegally present in the United States. BPAs also learned that Quinonez had been paid to transport the illegal aliens to Phoenix, and that he had previously transported illegal aliens from the Tohono O’odham Indian Reservation to Phoenix and Las Vegas. [Case Number: 26-MJ-3436]
A criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
RELEASE NUMBER: 2026-181_October 23, 2026 Immigration Enforcement
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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
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Source: U.S. Attorney’s Office — Arizona — U.S. Department of Justice press release.