PHOENIX, Ariz. – During the week of enforcement operations from April 25 through May 1, 2026, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona brought immigration-related criminal charges against 217 individuals. Specifically, the United States filed 126 cases in which aliens illegally re-entered the United States, and the United States also charged 74 aliens for illegally entering the United States. In its ongoing effort to deter unlawful immigration, the United States filed 13 cases against 17 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. Laura Rowell. On April 27, 2026, Laura Rowell was charged by criminal complaint with Transportation of Illegal Aliens for Profit. On April 25, Border Patrol Agents received a report of three potential illegal aliens getting into a truck on Route 19. Agents located the vehicle and attempted to stop the driver, Rowell, to perform an immigration inspection. Rowell failed to yield and accelerated to over 100 miles per hour. She eventually slowed down and started to make a U-turn in a driveway before getting out of the vehicle and surrendering. Agents discovered four passengers wearing camouflage hiding in Rowell’s truck, who were eventually determined to be citizens of Mexico and Guatemala, all unlawfully present in the United States. Agents discovered that Rowell was transporting the illegal aliens to Phoenix for payment. [Case Number: 26-MJ-05980]
United States v. Carlos Abraham Echeverria-Rodriguez, et al. On April 28, 2026, Carlos Abraham Echeverria-Rodriguez and Yadira Zueth Rivera-Cervantes were charged by criminal complaint with Conspiracy to Transport Illegal Aliens for Profit. On April 27, Border Patrol Agents observed headlights approaching an area at a known load-up spot to pick up illegal aliens then watched the driver speed off. Agents attempted to stop the driver to conduct an immigration inspection. The driver slowed, and two individuals wearing camouflage exited the vehicle. The driver drove off again at a high rate of speed. Agents apprehended the camouflaged individuals, who were determined to be citizens of Mexico, all unlawfully present in the United States. Agents then located the truck and apprehended the driver, Echeverria-Rodriguez, and the passenger, Rivera-Cervantes. Agents discovered that the two had picked up the illegal aliens with the intent of transporting them to Phoenix for payment. [Case Number: 26-MJ-06082]
United States v. Kevin Mejia-Quintanilla. On April 27, 2026, Kevin Mejia-Quintanilla was charged by criminal complaint with Transportation of Illegal Aliens for Profit. On April 26, Border Patrol Agents received information that a driver was traveling up and down a highway, appearing to look for areas to stop and pull off. Agents then observed the driver pull over before merging back onto the highway. Agents attempted to stop the driver, Meija-Quintanilla. He failed to yield, and agents pursued his vehicle. Agents ahead of the pursuit set up a vehicle immobilization device and successfully spiked two of the tires on the vehicle. When the vehicle came to a stop, agents observed four individuals inside who were wearing camouflage. The camouflaged individuals were determined to be citizens of Mexico, all unlawfully present in the United States. Agents discovered that Mejia-Quintanilla was transporting the illegal aliens to Phoenix for payment. [Case Number: 26-MJ-06058]
United States v. Alberto Santiago . On April 24, 2026, Alberto Santiago was charged by criminal complaint with Transportation of Illegal Aliens. On April 23, agents received information regarding a suspicious vehicle traveling on I-10 westbound that appeared to be carrying approximately 10 individuals. Homeland Security Investigations Agents located the vehicle and saw several individuals in the rear cargo area. The agents also observed that the driver had an obstructed view and was speeding in a construction zone. A sergeant with the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office initiated a vehicle stop, at which point, the driver of the vehicle, Santiago, pulled over and jumped out while the vehicle was still moving. Santiago was ultimately apprehended and taken into custody. Law enforcement identified 11 passengers in the vehicle, including five juveniles. Some of the passengers wore camouflage clothing, and similar clothing littered the inside of the vehicle. Law enforcement learned that Santiago, the driver of the vehicle, was transporting the illegal aliens. Immigration checks confirmed that all 11 passengers were citizens of Mexico, unlawfully present in the United States. [Case Number: 26-MJ-3115]
United States v. Selvin Mauricio Romero-Flores and Mynor Aroldo Ramirez-Vasquez . On April 29, 2026, Selvin Mauricio Romero-Flores and Mynor Aroldo Ramirez-Vasquez were charged by criminal complaint with Conspiracy to Transport Illegal Aliens. On April 28, a deputy with the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office observed a vehicle traveling westbound on I-10. A records check revealed that the vehicle had an expired registration, so the deputy initiated a traffic stop. When the driver pulled over to the shoulder of the road, four men got out and ran east into the desert. Inside the vehicle, the deputy found the driver, Romero- Flores; a passenger, Ramirez-Vasquez; and a man lying in the rear cargo area of the vehicle. The deputy also saw camouflage clothing on the passenger-side floorboard. Immigration checks confirmed that the man in the rear cargo area was a citizen of Mexico, unlawfully present in the United States. It was discovered that both Romero-Flores and Ramirez-Vasquez were transporting illegal aliens for payment. [Case Number: 26-MJ-5177]
These cases are 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. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
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: 2026-069_May 1, 2026, Immigration Enforcement
Source: U.S. Attorney’s Office — Arizona — U.S. Department of Justice press release.