PHOENIX, Ariz. – During the week of enforcement operations from Aug. 29 through Sep. 4, 2026, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona brought immigration-related criminal charges against 265 individuals. Specifically, the United States filed 128 cases in which aliens illegally re-entered the United States, and the United States also charged 124 aliens for illegally entering the United States. In its ongoing effort to deter unlawful immigration, the United States filed 12 cases against 13 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. Andrew Lee Esquivel. On August 29, 2026, Andrew Lee Esquivel was charged by criminal complaint with Transportation of an Illegal Alien. On August 28, 2026, a Pinal County deputy conducted a traffic stop on a Chevrolet Trax on I-10. As the deputy approached the Trax, he saw the passenger lying on the floorboard of the car. The car also contained a camouflage backpack, camouflage clothing, and carpet shoes in the back seat. When the deputy returned to his vehicle, the passenger fled on foot and ran across both lanes of traffic. The passenger was located 2 hours later, several miles away from the original stop. Border Patrol agents confirmed the passenger is a citizen of Mexico, unlawfully present in the United States. [26-MJ-6362]
United States v. Julian Beltran-Montoya. On September 3, 2026, Julian Beltran-Montoya, was charged by criminal complaint with Reentry of a Removed Alien. Beltran-Montoya had been previously removed from the United States in 2020. In 2012, he was convicted of Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, in the United States District Court, District of Wyoming. Beltran-Montoya was sentenced to 120 in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release in that case. [26-MJ-3322]
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: 2026-152_September 4, 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.