US Attorney's Office marches into April with 259 new immigration cases
Among the new cases, Mexican national Miguel Angel Torres-Segura resided illegally in San Antonio and was arrested March 28 for conspiracy to transport illegal aliens. A criminal complaint alleges that Torres-Segura participated in a human smuggling organization (HSO) that transported illegal aliens using tractor trailers, carrying out at least 19 human smuggling events and leading to the apprehension of more than 900 aliens between May 2021 and June 2022. Torres-Segura allegedly communicated with high-level leaders and organizers and assisted the HSO by transporting aliens and preparing tractor trailers for transport. Torres-Segura has multiple convictions, including two illegal entries in 2009 and 2010 and an illegal re-entry in 2011. He was convicted again for illegal re-entry on March 26 following an October 2024 arrest and has now been charged with conspiracy to transport illegal aliens.
On March 26, 2025, in Presidio County, Texas, Miguel Andres Aguilar, a citizen and national of Mexico, was found in the United States illegally after having been preciously deported. Aguilar was removed in February 2017 through San Ysidro California. Border Patrol Agents had determined Aguilar had been deported from the US on four prior occasions.
On March 31, 2025, at the Camino Real International Bridge II in Eagle Pass, Texas, Customs and Border Protection Officers conducting outbound operations observed a black semi-automatic pistol in the luggage being carried by Roman Lagunas-Nazario. Lagunas, a permanent resident alien, advised officers that he lives in Mexico and was in the US to visit family in Houston. He admitted being hired to transport the firearm to Mexico for $100. Lagunas was charged with smuggling goods from the United States and faces imprisonment for up to 10 years.
On March 27, 2025, Victor Alfonso Cruz-Garcia was charged with illegal reentry after deportation in Del Rio, Texas, after being arrested by US Border Patrol Agents. Cruz had been previously removed from the US on two occasions and was previously convicted of second degree murder.
Customs and Border Protection Officers at the Eagle Pass Port of Entry arrested Juan Sebastian Cortez-Calzada on March 26, 2025. Cortez was taken to Passport Control Secondary where record checks confirmed that he is a native and citizen of Mexico with no legal right to enter the United States. Record checks further revealed that Cortez was deported to Mexico on February 22, 2012, through the Port of Laredo, Texas. Additionally, Cortez has a felony conviction for a controlled substance prior to his removal.
Ronald Keith Henderson Jr. was arrested near Eagle Pass, Texas on Sunday, March 27, 2025. The driver of a gray Chevrolet Malibu, he was stopped near the Kickapoo Reservation in Eagle Pass. Three subjects in the vehicle were determined to be illegally present in the United States and freely admitted to had just crossed the Rio Grande River. Henderson admitted to conspiring with unknown subjects to transport aliens further into the United States.
Carlos Heliberto Solares y Solares, a Guatemalan citizen, traveling in a Chevrolet Malibu with California plates entered a checkpoint in Hudspeth County Texas on March 28, 2025. Solares told agents he was traveling from Los Angeles to Houston to visit his daughter. From Statements made by Solares, it was determined he was without immigration documents allowing him to remain in the United States legally. During an interview with Border Patrol Agents, Solares was asked if he knew he had been ordered removed by a judge and needed to leave the United States in which Solares stated "yes." Solares was ordered removed by an immigration judge on December 05, 2007. Solares had been previously convicted for cruelty to the elderly and domestic violence in 2021 and 2022.
In an area known as Rusty's Canyon approximately 31 miles east of Fort Hancock Texas, Leonela Alejandra Prado-Sanchez was apprehended attempting to conceal herself in the brush. Prado was determined to be a native and citizen of Honduras without immigration documents allowing her to be in the United States legally. Prado had previously been removed from the United States to Mexico on February 5, 2025 through Santa Teresa, New Mexico.
On April 1, 2025, Mexican national Gabriel Gonzalez Carillo was arrested in Hudspeth County 31 miles from Fort Hancock Texas Point of Entry. Gonzalez told agents that he would be paid to be a foot guide and that he was obtaining routes and other information via messages from an unknown smuggler in Mexico. Gonzalez and other illegal aliens were found attempting to conceal themselves in the brush in an area known as Rusty's Canyon.
Kelvin Sauceda-Reyes, a passenger on a Greyhound Bus that entered an immigration inspection lane in Hudspeth County was placed under arrest on March 30, 2025. Sauceda, a citizen of Honduras, handed Border Patrol Agents and expired immigration document. Further search by agents revealed fraudulent Social Security Card and a fraudulent Lawfully Permanent Resident card in his wallet. After questions, Sauceda admitted he purchased the documents for $70 USD.
Luis Alberto Escobedo-Duenas was found approximately 2.8 miles west of the Fort Hancock Port of Entry in Fort Hancock, Texas. Escobedo is a citizen and national of Mexico who had previously been removed from the US on seven prior convictions and had been previously convicted of illegal entry in El Paso, Texas in 2008, on federal drug trafficking charges in Alpine, Texas in 2012 for which he was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment followed by five years of supervised release, on Indiana state marijuana dealing charges in 2015 for which he was sentenced to two years imprisonment in 2017, on Indiana state resisting law enforcement charges for which he was sentenced to one year imprisonment also in 2017, and was sentenced in 2018 to 13 months imprisonment followed by five years of supervised release after his 2012 supervised release was revoked. Escobedo was arrested and charged in federal court in El Paso with illegal reentry after deportation.
Eduardo Garcia-Gutierrez will face illegal reentry after deportation charges in El Paso, Texas, after he was arrested at the Paso Del Norte Port of Entry. Garcia presented himself for entry indicating he wanted to travel to California. Garcia admitted that he did not have entry documents and was a citizen of Mexico who had previously been removed from the US. Records checks revealed that Garcia had been previously removed on nine prior occasions, with the last being in 2023. Criminal records check revealed Garcia had been convicted of transportation/sale of narcotics in 1994 for which he was sentenced to three years imprisonment, possession of narcotics and use of false citizenship documents in 1996 for which he was sentenced to three years imprisonment and was sentenced on four occasions for probation violations from 2018 to 2023.
These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE ERO), U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), with additional assistance from state and local law enforcement partners.
The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Texas comprises 68 counties located in the central and western areas of Texas, encompasses nearly 93,000 square miles and an estimated population of 7.6 million people. The district includes three of the five largest cities in Texas — San Antonio, Austin and El Paso — and shares 660 miles of common border with the Republic of Mexico.
These 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 immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department's Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Indictments and criminal complaints are merely allegations and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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New York Post
31 minutes ago
- New York Post
Michigan couple held in Mexican prison for month over timeshare dispute claims resort ‘weaponized' criminal justice system
A Michigan couple held in a Mexican maximum security prison for a month over a timeshare dispute have filed suit against a resort, claiming it 'weaponized' the Cancun judicial system and coerced them to sign an NDA while armed guards stood watching, court papers show. Paul and Christy Akeo claim Palace Resorts LLC brought bogus criminal charges to retaliate against them for a since-resolved $100,000 dispute over timeshares — and to get back at Christy for her involvement in a private Facebook group with over 8,000 members, many of whom were alleged victims of the resort's shady 'timeshare tactics,' according to a lawsuit filed by the Akeos Friday. The resort began a 'secret lawfare campaign' against the couple for disputing 13 credit card charges totaling $116,587 — which the credit card companies refunded the Akeos in 2022, finding their claims valid, explains the suit filed in Miami-Dade County Circuit Court. 8 Paul and Christy Akeo have filed suit against a Mexican resort for defamation and malicious prosecution that allegedly landed them in a maximum security prison south of the border. Obtained by NY Post Starting in 2016, the couple, both 60, bought timeshares for the Cancun location at 'exorbitant prices' as 'wholesale customers' and would then resell the bookings to others under agreement with Palace Resorts, the court papers explain. In exchange for helping the resort profit over $4 million between their stays and the business they brought in through others, the Akeos received 'bonus stays' at the resort, the filing explains. 'They were two people who loved to vacation, travel and adventure,' said Lindsay Hull, Christy's daughter and Paul's step-daughter. 8 The Akeos claim Palace Resorts LLC brought criminal charges against them for a since-settled $100,000 dispute. 'They absolutely loved it, and they loved sharing it with other people,' Hull said of her parents' motivation for reselling bookings. But the Akeos' arrangement with the resort went sour by March 2022, after the terms of the agreement changed just four months earlier in November 2021, the court papers claim. The resort sent the couple a cease-and-desist letter, alleging they 'breached their membership,' the filing claims. The resort eventually reneged on bookings the Akeos helped broker for others, prompting the pair to dispute charges with the credit card companies on the grounds that the 'product or services had not been received,' the filing alleges. Instead, the resort pressed charges by falsely accusing the couple of 'fraudulently' canceling the credit card transactions by claiming they were unknown charges, the filing explains. 8 The Akeos were held in a notorious maximum security prison in deplorable conditions for 30 days, their lawsuit alleges. Facebook/Congressman Tom Barrett 'The Akeos never told the credit companies that they did not recognize the charges or that the charges were fraudulent,' the suit claims. On March 4, the travel-loving duo were stopped by Mexican customs at the beginning of a trip and then were immediately cuffed and thrown into the notorious CERESCO prison for 30 days — housed with 'violent criminals,' in deplorable conditions, the court documents claim. 'The arrest came as a complete surprise to the Akeos,' and would kick off a month of hell for the pair, the suit alleges. 'They were scared, terrified, and frightened that they may never go home again,' the suit claims, noting the Akeos were told they'd have to remain there for at least six months during an investigation and faced up to six years if convicted. 8 President Trump intervened, sending Michigan Republican Congressman Tom Barrett to the prison to help free the couple. Facebook/Congressman Tom Barrett Their 'captivity' made national headlines and prompted President Trump to intervene and send Republican Michigan Congressman Tom Barrett to Mexico to advocate for their return. Christy and Paul — a 21-year Navy veteran and mechanical engineer with the Michigan State Police — were kept apart in cells alongside members of Mexican cartels, murderers and rapists in squalid conditions inside the decrepit lockup, the court papers allege. For two weeks, Christy was housed in a cell with a toilet that didn't flush. And on Paul's first night behind bars, he was kept with 35 other men as 'the guards had pepper-sprayed the fan in Paul's room to calm down agitated prisoners,' the filing claims. 'They were in very, very traumatic conditions,' Hull told The Post. 8 The couple was housed with hardened criminals including members of a Mexican cartel, murderers and rapists, the court papers allege. Facebook/Congressman Tom Barrett She said her mom lost 25 pounds in her first two weeks there because she was provided with food that had fish in it, despite her notifying the facility of her fish allergy. Hull, 29, said she only got to speak to her mom between two to five minutes a day — and that was after the first three days of Christy's detainment when there was 'absolutely no communication with them,' she explained. The brief conversations were all Hull had as she and her brother fought 18 to 20 hours a day to bring national awareness to her mom's case in their effort to mobilize the government to get her and Paul back, Hull explained. The cells they stayed in were hot without ventilation and were smeared with feces and urine, as there was no running water for the showers or toilets, the daughter said. And there were cockroaches and rodents 'roaming around,' she added. 8 The Akeos stayed at Palace resorts throughout Mexico and in Jamaica. Finally, a month later, the couple were hauled into a Cancun court and told by their lawyer and Rep. Barrett that the only way the Mexican prosecutors would drop the case against them was if they signed a settlement deal that included signing a non-disclosure agreement, the filing alleges. The agreement included terms that the Akeos close down the Facebook page of disgruntled customers, pay the resort a sum of money, keep quiet about their ordeal and arbitrate any further dispute in the International Court of Arbitration in Canada. Hull said she and her brother reached out to the founder of the Facebook page, whom they didn't know, and pleaded for the group to be closed down so her parents could return. The Akeos claim the agreement isn't valid because they made it under 'duress,' including being forced to sign documents while guards armed with machine guns stood over them, the filing claims. 8 The Akeos were only released after they signed an NDA agreement allegedly under duress, the suit claims. Tom Barrett/X The resort started an arbitration case in the Vancouver court, but the Akeos want a judge to invalidate any requirement for the case to be fought behind closed doors in the arbitration, since they were coerced into signing the agreement, the court papers claim. 'It's not fair that my parents are not able to speak about their story,' Hull said of the NDA her parents signed. 'They deserve to advocate for themselves. 'They were under the impression that they would never be released from prison if they did not sign this NDA.' 8 The Akeos would sell timeshares and then resell them, as part of an agreement with the resort, the court papers claim. handout The Akeos are seeking unspecified damages for claims of defamation, malicious prosecution, abuse of process, duress and intentional infliction of emotional distress. 'They deserve justice for what they went through,' Hull said. 'When you're dealing with companies of this size, they need to be held accountable.' Hull said her parents haven't been the same since their harrowing stint in prison, with both now suffering from anxiety and fear for which they now seek treatment. David Orta, a lawyer for the resort, said his client 'rejects all claims' and said they plan to 'defend against them and otherwise take appropriate legal action to enforce the Palace Company's rights.' 'The Akeos and the Palace Company fully resolved their disputes earlier this year,' the lawyer said, apparantly referring to the papers they signed in Cancun. 'Mr. and Mrs. Akeo have unfortunately proceeded with additional litigation against the Palace Company and affiliated entities and individuals in violation of the parties' resolution of their disputes.'
CNN
41 minutes ago
- CNN
Hurricane Erin seen from space heading near East Coast
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Los Angeles Times
2 hours ago
- Los Angeles Times
How a strawberry delivery driver was caught in a fight between Newsom and Trump
The strawberry delivery driver was making his last drop-off in Little Tokyo, unloading nearly a dozen boxes onto the sidewalk outside the Japanese American National Museum. Inside the building, California Gov. Gavin Newsom and his allies were holding a news conference about a Democratic Party plan to fight back against President Trump's efforts to maintain control of the U.S. House of Representatives through redistricting in Texas. Angel Rodrigo Minguela Palacios knew nothing of the powerful men's clash as he stacked cardboard boxes filled with ripe, red fruit Thursday morning. He also didn't know that dozens of Border Patrol agents were massing nearby. Minguela was caught between the two spectacles. His life was about to be upended. In the days that followed, Newsom accused the Trump administration of trying to intimidate the president's political opponents by sending the immigration agents. Department of Homeland Security spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin has said the agents were 'focused on enforcing the law' not on Newsom. Newsom has since submitted a Freedom of Information Act request seeking records from the administration about why agents arrived at the museum as he was announcing his latest skirmish with the president. For Minguela, who has been in the country for close to a decade, that day felt a lot more personal. He was arrested by Border Patrol agents and now faces deportation back to Mexico. Speaking from behind a plexiglass window at the 'B-18' federal detention center in downtown L.A. on Monday, Minguela stressed that he is not a criminal. 'One comes here to work, not commit crimes,' said Minguela, who wore the same red T-shirt and jeans he'd been arrested in four days prior. When asked last week whether the person arrested outside the news conference had a criminal record, a Homeland Security spokesperson said the agency would share a criminal rap sheet when it was available. After four follow-up emails from a reporter, McLaughlin on Saturday said agents had arrested 'two illegal aliens' in the vicinity of Newsom's news conference — including 'an alleged Tren de Aragua gang member and narcotics trafficker.' Asked twice to clarify whether the alleged gang member and narcotics trafficker were the same person, Homeland Security officials did not respond. But when presented with Minguela's biographical information Monday, the department said he had been arrested because he overstayed his visa — a civil, not criminal, offense. Border Patrol Sector Chief Gregory Bovino told Fox News on Aug. 15 that operations were based on intelligence about the alleged Tren de Aragua gang member. They arrested that man two blocks away from Newsom's news conference. Two law enforcement sources who asked to remain anonymous as they were not authorized to speak with the media told The Times they had received word from federal authorities that Little Tokyo had been targeted because of its proximity to the Newsom event. For those who know Minguela, it felt like mala suerte — bad luck. As Martha Franco, one of Minguela's employers, put it, 'He was in the wrong place at the wrong time.' :: Like every other weekday, Minguela rose before the sun to start his 2 a.m. delivery route Thursday. He had around eight places to hit. He'd worked for the same produce company for around eight years and never missed a day. That day, Minguela left his partner and their three children — ages 15, 12 and 7 — asleep in their home, hours before the kids would head off for their first day of school. His partner, who asked not to be named for fear of retaliation, had worked the night before as a cashier at a liquor store. She did not get off work until about 12:30 a.m. She brought him coffee as he started his day. Shortly before 6 a.m., Minguela called his partner to wake her up so she could take the kids to school. Throughout the morning, they checked in with each other on how the day was progressing. She called to warn him about immigration agents at Slauson and Miles avenues in Huntington Park. Over the last couple of months, as immigration raids became a part of daily life, the couple's world had slowly shrunk. Minguela had overstayed a tourist visa after fleeing the Mexican state of Coahuila in 2015 because of violence he faced there, his partner said. She said he had worked servicing ATMs there, was kidnapped twice and at one point was stabbed by people intent on stealing the money. After his employers cut staff, she said, he lost his job, helping drive his decision to leave. Because he was undocumented, he rarely went out, leaving the house only for work and errands. Minguela began wondering whether it was even safe for him to pick up the kids from school, his partner said. He planned ahead, made copies of his keys and left money for his family in the event that he was grabbed by immigration agents. That morning, he reassured his partner he was fine. He was heading to his last stop at a tea room in Little Tokyo. 'Ten mucho cuidado,' his partner told him. Be very careful. :: The Border Patrol agents descended on 1st Street in Little Tokyo about 11:30 a.m., just as Newsom's news conference got underway. They were decked out in camouflage and helmets, their faces obscured by black masks. One wore an American flag neck gaiter. They were armed, some with AR-15-style weapons. Nearby, Minguela was busy unloading several boxes of strawberries and a box of apples. He didn't notice the agents until they were close behind him. Then, he ducked back inside the van. A video shared with The Times shows at least eight Border Patrol agents as they passed the van, its side door wide-open. They did not stop. Then, one appeared to double back and peek inside. Minguela said he feels he was targeted based on his physical appearance. When the agent began asking him questions, Minguela said he pulled a red 'know your rights' card out of his wallet and handed it to the agent. 'This is of no use to me,' he said the agent told him. Another agent soon joined them. Minguela told them he didn't have to talk. But they kept asking questions, he said. What was his nationality? What was his name? Did he have papers? 'They demanded I show them some kind of identification,' he said. 'Insisting, insisting.' The agents were armed, and Minguela said he grew scared. Believing he had no choice, Minguela said, he gave one of the agents his California driver's license. Minguela tried to call his partner twice, but she was at a doctor's appointment and couldn't answer. At 11:22 a.m., he sent her three WhatsApp messages: 'Amor ya me agarró la te preocupes.' 'Todo va a estar bien.' 'Diosito nos va a ayudar mucho.' Immigration had gotten him, he said, but everything would be fine. God would help them, he assured her. Minguela sent her a picture of an agent holding his license and seemingly plugging the information from it into a phone. Then, the agent arrested him. Video captured Minguela, hands cuffed behind his back, as the agent linked an arm through his. He walked Minguela away from the van, toward Bovino. After conferring with colleagues, the agent walked Minguela back toward his delivery van. Bovino patted the agent on the back and said, 'Well done.' At about the same time, one of Minguela's employers, Isaias Franco, received a call from Little Tokyo warning him about the immigration activity. He immediately called Minguela, whose cell number is saved in his phone under 'paisa,' countryman. Both hail from the Mexican city of Torreón. No answer. Franco texted him, trying to tell him what was unfolding. By that time, though, Minguela was already in handcuffs. :: Hours before visitation began at the detention center in downtown L.A. on Monday, families began lining up along a driveway where 'B-18' was stamped in black on a concrete wall. Someone had scrawled on the ground in chalk: 'Abolish ICE' and 'Viva La Raza.' Another message read, 'Civil disobedience becomes a duty when the state becomes lawless and corrupt.' By 11:30 a.m., 18 people were waiting for visitation to start at 1 p.m. In less than an hour, that number had ballooned to 33. Three siblings there to visit their uncle who had been arrested at a car wash in Long Beach the day before. A woman whose uncle was taken from a Home Depot in Pasadena. Two sisters whose loved one had been arrested at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement check-in. They carried bags of medication and sweaters for detained loved ones, because they'd heard it was cold inside. Each person hoped to get in before visitation ended at 4 p.m., although it seemed increasingly unlikely for those at the back of the line. Martha and Isaias, Minguela's employers, were among the hopeful. It was their third attempt to see him. The day of Minguela's arrest, they got there too late. The next day, they arrived earlier and were in luck. On the advice of others in line, they brought a jacket to keep Minguela warm. In the years they've employed Minguela, they've only ever seen his serious, professional side. But during the five minutes they got to visit with him Friday, he spent most of it in tears, hardly able to speak. The couple assured him they would help however they could. They returned on Monday, this time bringing a blue Ralph Lauren shirt and a pair of black New Balance socks so he could change clothing. Isaias and the couple's son, Carlos, had both come, despite starting their workday at 2 a.m. 'We're going to be with him until the end,' Martha said. 'He's part of our family. He's one of us.' As the hours wore on, people in line squatted or sat on the concrete to rest their aching legs. Martha flitted around, advising people to bring sweaters for loved ones and letting them know the officers allowed in only one item of clothing for each detained person. By the start of visitation, 44 people were in line. Martha was No. 19. Families exited red-eyed, tears dripping down their cheeks after getting only a few minutes with their loved ones. About 3 p.m., after waiting three and a half hours, the Francos handed the officer their passports and identification, before finally making it inside. They had to turn off their phones. They could give Minguela only the T-shirt. The officer said no to the socks, a prohibited second item of clothing. Minguela beamed when he saw the Francos, who greeted him through the plexiglass window. He was trying to maintain his spirits, but said he felt 'impotente.' Powerless. The Francos told him not to sign anything. 'Vamos a estar con usted,' Isaias told Minguela, letting him know they would be with him. He and Carlos fist bumped Minguela through the Plexiglass. 'Échale ganas,' Isaias added, keep going. :: Minguela's children have hardly stopped crying since his arrest. During the eight years he and his partner have been together, he's helped raise her two children and their 7-year-old son, who is autistic. Minguela's lawyer, Alex Galvez, said the hope is that his client will be released on bond, as he initially entered the country lawfully and is the primary breadwinner for the family. The lawyer said he believes Minguela was arrested in defiance of a federal judge's order that immigration authorities cannot racially profile people or use roving patrols to target immigrants. 'It was a political opportunity. He was one of the two guys picked up right during Newsom's press conference,' Galvez said. 'They had to show something for it.' Just days before his arrest, Minguela's family had celebrated his 48th birthday. His partner made him his favorite dish, shrimp ceviche. Her birthday was Tuesday. The family had planned to go on a rare outing for a dinner of enchiladas de mole. But they spent the day without him. There was no celebration. The children asked their mother, as they have every day for nearly a week: When is papá coming home? Times staff writer Richard Winton contributed to this report.
