HOUSTON – Another 254 people have been charged with immigration and border security-related crimes from Sept. 11-17.
A total of 176 criminal complaints were filed for felony reentry after prior removal, while another 43 people face charges of illegal entry. Most of those illegal aliens have prior felony convictions involving narcotics, violent crimes, immigration crimes, and more. In addition, 29 people have been charged with human smuggling, including 20 illegal aliens themselves. The remaining cases charged this week relate to other immigration crimes and firearms charges.
As part of the newly filed complaints, Albanian national Arben Cima has been charged with illegal reentry into the country. According to the charges, authorities previously removed him March 12, 2022, before discovering him again near Mission. According to his complaint, he has a prior conviction for possession with intent to distribute heroin.
One of the cases includes Hector Bartelemi Morales-Valle, a Honduran illegal alien who law enforcement allegedly discovered unlawfully in the country near Roma. The criminal complaint against him alleges he has a prior conviction for burglary. If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in prison.
The cases are referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations, ICE – Enforcement and Removal Operations, Border Patrol, Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI, U.S. Marshals Service, as well as the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives with additional assistance from state and local law enforcement partners.
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 immigrants, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Under current leadership, public safety and a secure border are the top priorities for the Southern District. Enhanced enforcement both at the border and in the interior of the district have yielded aliens engaged in unlawful activity or with serious criminal histories, including convictions for human trafficking, sexual assault, and violence against children.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas remains one of the busiest in the nation. It represents 43 counties and more than 10 million people covering 44,000 square miles. Assistant U.S. Attorneys from all seven divisions including Houston, Galveston, Victoria, Corpus Christi, Brownsville, McAllen, and Laredo work directly with our law enforcement partners on the federal, state, and local levels to prosecute the suspected offenders of these and other federal crimes.
An indictment or criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
Source: U.S. Attorney’s Office — Southern District of Texas — U.S. Department of Justice press release.