During a week of enforcement operations from July 19 to July 25, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona charged 135 individuals with immigration-related criminal conduct. The United States filed 67 cases for illegal re-entry and charged 50 individuals for illegal entry. Additionally, there were 11 cases against 13 individuals for smuggling illegal aliens into and within Arizona. Protecting law enforcement remains crucial, as five individuals faced charges in three cases for assaulting federal officers.
These actions were supported by various federal law enforcement partners, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), U.S. Border Patrol, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
Significant cases include:
– In “United States v. Santos Mendivil Contreras, Jr., et al,” on July 22, Santos Mendivil Contreras, Jr., and Emanuel Mendivil Cervantes were charged with assaulting federal officers after an incident involving Homeland Security Investigations agents attempting to arrest Contreras.
– In “United States v. Benigno Armando Rios Pacheco, et al,” on July 24, Benigno Armando Rios Pacheco and Janeth Karina Montoya Estrada were charged following an altercation with DEA agents during a traffic stop.
These cases are part of Operation Take Back America, which utilizes resources from the Department of Justice to combat illegal immigration and protect communities from violent crime.
“A criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct,” states the release. “All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.”
