Evergreen Reporter

Federal prosecutors in the Western District of Texas have filed 210 immigration-related criminal cases from March 14 to March 20, as announced by Acting United States Attorney Margaret Leachman. The new cases involve various charges and arrests related to immigration violations.

Among those arrested were Carlos Alberto Santoyo Holguin, a Mexican national, and Bielman Alexander PU-Ruiz, a Guatemalan national. They were detained during inspections at the Sierra Blanca Border Patrol checkpoint. Both allegedly lacked legal immigration documents and possessed fraudulent Social Security cards and Lawful Permanent Resident Alien cards.

Marvin Miguel US-Mendoza, a Guatemalan citizen with previous felony convictions, was arrested by Marfa Border Patrol Agents. He allegedly had no legal documentation for being in the U.S. and had been deported four times since February 2016.

Manuel Andres-Miguel faced charges for transporting illegal aliens after he was found guiding individuals through the desert to a pick-up location in Marfa. He has been apprehended multiple times before for illegal entry.

In Del Rio, Ashley Nicole Dronenberg and Zachery Lee Justus were charged with trafficking two illegal aliens further into the U.S. A complaint alleges that Dronenberg concealed a mother and child in her vehicle's rear cargo area at a Border Patrol checkpoint.

Jose Manuel Medellin-Guerrero was charged with illegal re-entry following his arrest in San Antonio on March 20. He reportedly revealed his status as a Mexican national without legal entry rights during a traffic stop conducted by Guadalupe County Sheriff’s Office deputies.

Reymundo Criado-Cruz, convicted of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, was transferred to federal custody in Austin after serving part of his state court sentence. Previously removed from the U.S., he has an extensive criminal record including burglary and possession of controlled substances.

Ezequiel Borja-Jaimes was apprehended by ICE Austin Fugitive Operations team on March 19. Previously deported in January 2021, he has multiple convictions for driving while intoxicated.

These cases involved cooperation from several federal agencies including Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement Removal Operations (ICE ERO), U.S. Border Patrol, DEA, FBI, USMS, ATF, alongside state and local law enforcement partners.

The Western District of Texas covers nearly 93,000 square miles across central and western Texas with an estimated population of 7.6 million people. It includes major cities such as San Antonio, Austin, El Paso and shares an extensive border with Mexico.

These actions are part of Operation Take Back America aimed at combating illegal immigration and transnational criminal organizations through resources from Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt in court proceedings.