PHOENIX, Ariz. – During the week of enforcement operations from Aug. 1 through Aug. 7, 2026, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona brought immigration-related criminal charges against 227 individuals. Specifically, the United States filed 84 cases in which aliens illegally re-entered the United States, and the United States also charged 123 aliens for illegally entering the United States. In its ongoing effort to deter unlawful immigration, the United States filed 16 cases against 20 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. Gerardo Parada-Reyes. On July 31, 2026, Gerardo Parada-Reyes was charged by criminal complaint with Reentry of a Removed Alien. Parada-Reyes had been previously removed from the United States in 2019 after being convicted of Manufacturing/Distributing/Possession with Intent to Distribute – Heroin/Cocaine – Equal to or Greater than 5 Ounces in the Superior Court of New Jersey, Ocean County. Parada-Reyes was sentenced to 10 years in prison in that case. [26-MJ-5371]
United States v. Norberto Antunez-Moreno. On Aug. 5, 2026, Norberto Antunez-Moreno was charged by criminal complaint with Reentry of a Removed Alien. Antunez-Moreno had been previously removed from the United States in 2017 after being convicted of Possession with Intent to Distribute Marijuana in the United States District Court, District of Arizona. Antunez-Moreno was sentenced to 16 months in prison in that case. [26-MJ-3205]
The 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.
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: 2026-134_August 7, 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.