The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona announced on April 3 that it charged 226 individuals with immigration-related criminal conduct during enforcement operations held from March 28 through April 3, 2026.
According to the office, these actions are part of ongoing efforts to deter unlawful immigration and address related crimes in the region.
Of those charged, authorities filed 117 cases involving illegal re-entry into the United States and charged another 95 individuals for illegal entry. In addition, federal prosecutors brought charges against 14 people accused of smuggling others into or within Arizona. The cases were referred or supported by several federal law enforcement agencies, including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE-ERO), ICE Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI), U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the FBI, the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
Recent matters highlighted include United States v. Porfirio Astorga-Rivera and United States v. Idefonso Beltran-Aispuro. In both cases, defendants were charged by criminal complaint with bringing aliens into the country unlawfully for profit after being apprehended near Wellton, Arizona while attempting to guide groups across the border in exchange for payment.
These prosecutions are part of Operation Take Back America—a national initiative aimed at using Department of Justice resources to combat illegal immigration and eliminate transnational criminal organizations such as cartels while protecting communities from violent crime perpetrators. The operation coordinates efforts from programs like Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).
Officials remind that a criminal complaint is a formal accusation only; all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in court.
