HOUSTON, TX – Federal prosecutors have charged 235 people in immigration and border security cases filed last week across the Southern District of Texas.
The charges, announced Friday by U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei, stem from offenses ranging from human smuggling to illegal entry and felony reentry after deportation.
Authorities said 17 individuals were charged with human smuggling, 70 with illegal entry, and 146 with felony reentry.
The final destination of those migrants was unknown. In the past, many have ended up in the New York and New Jersey region.
Many of the defendants reportedly have prior felony convictions involving narcotics, violent crimes, or previous immigration violations.
Human smuggling case leads to discovery of 51 people in trailer
One of the week’s most serious cases involves Honduran national Greibein Alexis Pinot-Duarte, who allegedly transported 51 migrants in a refrigerated tractor-trailer near Freer.
According to court filings, a K-9 unit alerted officers to the rear doors of the truck after Pinot-Duarte appeared nervous during inspection. Inside, authorities discovered dozens of migrants concealed in a 55-degree compartment beneath boxes of produce, with little room to move or breathe.
If convicted, Pinot-Duarte faces up to 10 years in federal prison.
Other defendants charged with illegal reentry
Prosecutors also charged Christian Omar Amezquita-Munoz, a Mexican national allegedly found near Donna. He previously served 100 months in prison for possession with intent to distribute 14 kilograms of cocaine before being deported in 2022.
Another man, identified as Oscar Enrique Govea-Acuna, was located near Hidalgo and has a prior conviction for evading arrest with a vehicle. He was deported in 2018. Both men face up to 20 years in prison if convicted.
Federal agencies including ICE, Border Patrol, DEA, FBI, U.S. Marshals Service, and ATF supported the investigations, along with state and local law enforcement.
Operation Take Back America targets cross-border crime
The prosecutions fall under Operation Take Back America, a Department of Justice initiative aimed at combating illegal immigration, drug trafficking, and transnational criminal organizations.
Officials said the Southern District of Texas remains one of the nation’s busiest jurisdictions, covering 43 counties and more than nine million residents. Assistant U.S. Attorneys from offices in Houston, Galveston, Victoria, Corpus Christi, Brownsville, McAllen, and Laredo are handling the cases.
All defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
Federal prosecutors charged 235 people in Texas last week, including a man accused of hiding 51 migrants inside a refrigerated truck.