U.S. Attorney for Western District of Texas announces 187 new immigration related criminal cases in one week

San Antonio, Texas – Federal prosecutors announced a large number of new criminal cases tied to immigration violations and human smuggling. Officials with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas revealed that 187 new immigration and immigration-related criminal cases were filed between Feb. 27 and March 5, highlighting a surge of prosecutions involving individuals accused of illegal re-entry and other federal offenses.

The announcement was made by Justin R. Simmons, who said the cases include individuals accused of human smuggling as well as illegal immigrants who had previously been removed from the United States and later returned despite past deportations. Some of the defendants also have criminal histories involving violent offenses, driving while intoxicated, and repeated removals from the country.

Federal authorities said the cases were referred or supported by multiple law enforcement agencies, including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, U.S. Border Patrol, Drug Enforcement Administration, Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Marshals Service, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, along with support from state and local partners.

Repeat Deportations and Violent Criminal Histories

Among the cases highlighted by prosecutors was that of Mexican national Erick Eduardo Carillo-Fierro, who now faces a charge of illegal re-entry after being arrested by Border Patrol agents near Val Verde.

Authorities said Carillo-Fierro had been deported from the United States on Feb. 6 but returned again soon after. His criminal record in California includes several serious convictions.

In 2009, he received a 15-year and 8-month prison sentence after being convicted of carjacking and fleeing from a pursuing officer while armed with a weapon. During that prison term, he was convicted again in 2011 for manufacturing a weapon while incarcerated. Later, in 2022, he was convicted for possessing narcotics, drugs, or alcohol while still in prison.

Another case involved Mexican national Jorge Salinas-Cabrera, who was arrested near Kinney by Border Patrol agents. Prosecutors say he has been deported four times, most recently on Aug. 16, 2025.

Salinas-Cabrera also has a lengthy criminal history. In addition to a previous conviction in 2013 for illegal re-entry, his record includes two convictions for assault causing bodily injury, one conviction for driving while intoxicated, and one for evading arrest.

Arrests Linked to Assault and Other Crimes

In another case, Mexican national Luis Fidel Leos-Angel was located at the Bexar County Jail earlier this year after being arrested on local charges of assault causing bodily injury to a family member and evading arrest.

After being released from the jail on Tuesday, Leos-Angel was transferred to ICE Enforcement Removal Operations in San Antonio for processing. Authorities later discovered that he had previously been convicted of aiding and abetting the transportation of an unlawful alien, a crime for which he was sentenced to 18 months in prison.

Federal authorities also reported the arrest of Freyman Mejia-Vasquez, a Guatemalan national who was taken into custody in Austin for violating the conditions of supervised release after completing a 27-month federal prison sentence.

Officials said Mejia-Vasquez has been removed from the United States seven times. His criminal history includes charges for interfering with an emergency call, driving while intoxicated, and assault causing bodily injury.

Another individual charged in Austin was Salvadoran national Oscar Enrique Ramos-Tepas, who faces an illegal re-entry charge after being deported twice.

In 2024, Ramos-Tepas was convicted of assault impeding breath or circulation and tampering with evidence with intent to impair. Authorities say his criminal record also includes a DWI conviction, two violations of a protective order, and two additional assault convictions involving bodily injury.

Additional Arrests Across the District

Several other arrests also took place across the Western District of Texas.

Mexican national Miguel Angel Torres-Rueda, also known as Everado Torres-Rueda, was located in the Travis County Jail and later detained by ICE agents. Officials said he has previously been deported twice. His criminal history includes two convictions for driving while intoxicated, one assault causing bodily injury conviction, and an improper entry offense.

Another arrest involved Guatemalan national Efrain Celso Garcia-Pedro, who was located approximately 5.7 miles east of the Tornillo Port of Entry on Feb. 28.

Authorities said Garcia-Pedro had previously been removed from the United States on Aug. 29, 2025. Just four months earlier, he had been sentenced in Cherokee County, Georgia to 20 years of probation and community service after being convicted of exploiting and inflicting pain in order to deprive essential services to a disabled or elderly person.

In El Paso, officers arrested Mexican national Armando Jose-Gaspar, also known as Armando Pedro Juan, after locating him near the 4000 block of Truman Avenue.

Authorities said Jose-Gaspar has been removed from the United States 10 times, with the most recent deportation occurring in December through Nogales, Arizona.

The Western District of Texas is one of the largest federal judicial districts in the country. The district covers 68 counties across central and western Texas, spanning nearly 93,000 square miles and serving an estimated 7.6 million residents. It includes three of the five largest cities in Texas—San Antonio, Austin, and El Paso—and shares roughly 660 miles of border with the Republic of Mexico, making it a major region for federal immigration enforcement efforts.