PHOENIX, Ariz. – During the week of enforcement operations from Sep. 12 through Sep. 18, 2026, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona brought immigration-related criminal charges against 289 individuals. Specifically, the United States filed 152 cases in which aliens illegally re-entered the United States, and the United States also charged 113 aliens for illegally entering the United States. In its ongoing effort to deter unlawful immigration, the United States filed 21 cases against 24 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. Brandon Hernandez, et al. On Sep. 11, 2026, Brandon Hernandez and Kelssy Ayleen Urzua, both United States citizens, were charged by criminal complaint with Conspiracy to Transport an Illegal Alien. A Pinal County Sheriff’s Deputy conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle that Hernandez was driving, with Urzua as the front seat passenger. During the stop, the Deputy observed two male individuals wearing camouflage clothing hiding in the rear seats. Border Patrol Agents (BPAs) were called to the scene and determined one male passenger was a citizen of Mexico and the other was a citizen of El Salvador, both unlawfully present in the United States. [Case Number: 26-MJ-5460]
United States v. Javier Chavez-Flores. On Sep. 11, 2026, Javier Chavez-Flores was charged by criminal complaint with Reentry of a Removed Alien. Chavez-Flores had been previously removed from the United States in February 2026 after being convicted of Criminal Sexual Conduct in the 3rd degree (Victim Mentally Impaired/Helpless), in the District Court for the State of Minnesota. Chavez-Flores was sentenced to 253 days in prison and 5 years of probation in that case. [Case Number: 26-MJ-5453]
United States v. Leonel Esteban Loreto . Leonel Esteban Loreto was charged by criminal complaint on Sep. 14, 2026, with Transportation of an Illegal Alien for Profit. On Sep. 11, 2026, BPAs near Naco, AZ observed Loreto driving a Chevy Tahoe down a road commonly used for alien smuggling and reverse direction less than one minute later. BPAs attempted to stop the vehicle to conduct an immigration inspection, but Loreto failed to yield. Instead, the driver sped up, reaching speeds of 90-100 mph before finally pulling over. BPAs found a passenger in the rear seat of the Tahoe wearing camouflage clothing. The passenger was determined to be a citizen of Mexico, unlawfully present in the United States. [Case Number: 26-MJ-09711]
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: 2026-161_September 18, 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.