PHOENIX, Ariz. – During the week of enforcement operations from May 16 through May 22, 2026, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona brought immigration-related criminal charges against 389 individuals. Specifically, the United States filed 170 cases in which aliens illegally re-entered the United States, and the United States also charged 191 aliens for illegally entering the United States. In its ongoing effort to deter unlawful immigration, the United States filed 23 cases against 28 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. Gregory James Russell. Gregory James Russell was charged by criminal complaint on May 20, 2026, with Transportation of Illegal Aliens for Profit and Placing in Jeopardy the Life of Any Person. On May 19, Border Patrol Agents observed a Ford F-150 exceeding 80 mph in a 55 mph zone. The driver also swerved from side to side, crossing the center line, then continued into the town of Sonoita, Arizona, where agents eventually initiated a stop. Inside the vehicle, agents discovered two individuals who were determined to be citizens of Mexico, unlawfully present in the United States. Agents also observed an open container of alcohol inside the vehicle and noted that Russell appeared to be intoxicated. Agents learned that Russell drove from Tucson to Nogales to pick up two illegal aliens and transport them to Phoenix and that he would be paid to do so. At the request of agents, Arizona Department of Public Safety Troopers also responded and charged Russell with Driving Under the Influence. [Case number: 26-MJ-03276]
United States v. Robert Blair Schenberg. On May 20, 2026, Robert Blair Schenberg was charged by criminal compliant with Transportation of an Illegal Alien. On May 19, a Pinal County Deputy noticed the license plate on a silver Hyundai Elantra was blowing upright in the breeze, making it unreadable. The deputy initiated a traffic stop and made contact with the driver, Robert Blair Schenberg. While speaking to Schenberg, the deputy noticed the rear passenger was dressed in camouflage clothing and wearing carpet shoes. On the floorboard next to the passenger was a camouflage backpack. The deputy contacted the U.S. Border Patrol for assistance. Border Patrol Agents confirmed that the passenger was a citizen of Mexico, unlawfully present in the United States. [Case number: 26-MJ-5222]
United States v. Luis Arturo Quezada-Garcia. On May 19, 2026, Luis Arturo Quezada-Garcia was charged by criminal complaint with Transportation of an Illegal Alien. On May 18, a U.S. Border Patrol Agent noticed a Chevrolet Silverado near Wickenburg, Arizona, with dark window tint and an item hanging from the rearview mirror. The agent followed the vehicle and noticed the driver slow down and repeatedly drift across the fog line. As the agent pulled up to the vehicle, he could see two passengers in the back seat. Shortly after, the two passengers were no longer visible. The agent conducted a vehicle stop for an immigration inspection. During the stop, agents learned that the driver, Quezada-Garcia, and the rear passengers were citizens of Mexico, unlawfully present in the United States, and that they had crossed the border into the United States approximately one week prior. [Case number: 26-MJ-01388]
This case is part of Operation Take Back America , a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
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: 2026-081_May 22, 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.