PHOENIX, Ariz. – During the week of enforcement operations from Oct. 10 through Oct. 16, 2026, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona brought immigration-related criminal charges against 279 individuals. Specifically, the United States filed 136 cases in which aliens illegally re-entered the United States, and the United States also charged 123 aliens for illegally entering the United States. In its ongoing effort to deter unlawful immigration, the United States filed 17 cases against 20 individuals responsible for smuggling illegal aliens into and within the District of Arizona. These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, 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 of interest include:United States v. Calixtro-Rodriguez et al. Jesus Manuel Calixtro-Rodriguez and Julio Cesar Ramos-Mendez were charged by criminal complaint on Oct. 13, 2026, with Conspiracy to Transport an Illegal Alien for Profit. Ramos-Mendez was also charged in the complaint with Reentry of Removed Alien. On Oct. 10, 2026, Border Patrol cameras observed a driver in a Dodge Ram traveling south on Federal Route 15 on the Tohono O'odham Nation. The driver, later identified as Calixtro-Rodriguez, performed a u-turn and parked on the side of the road near mile marker 5, a known pick-up spot for illegal aliens. Multiple subjects were observed entering the Dodge Ram. Calixtro-Rodriguez then traveled northbound. Border Patrol Agents (BPAs) attempted to stop him to conduct an immigration inspection, but Calixtro-Rodriguez failed to yield. BPAs then deployed a tire deflation device which disabled the vehicle. All of the subjects bailed from the vehicle and ran away. BPAs were able to apprehend Calixtro-Rodriguez and three passengers, including Ramos-Mendez, who were determined to be citizens of Mexico, unlawfully present in the United States. BPAs learned that Ramos-Mendez was the group's foot guide. Records checks revealed that Ramos-Mendez had been previously removed from the United States and did not have authorization to return. [Case Number: 26-MJ-04143]United States v. Christopher Paul Lopez. On Oct. 9, 2026, Christopher Paul Lopez was charged by criminal complaint with Transportation of an Illegal Alien. On Oct. 8, an Arizona Department of Public Safety Trooper performed a traffic stop on a Land Rover driving on the I-10. The Trooper observed Lopez lying in the rear of the vehicle during the traffic stop. Lopez began reaching for a black bag, prompting the Trooper to ask if the bag contained a firearm, which Lopez confirmed. The Trooper removed the bag and recovered a loaded Glock 19 handgun from inside. The Trooper directed Lopez to exit the vehicle to speak with them. Their conversation led the Trooper to believe Lopez and the driver were involved in human smuggling. BPAs responded to the scene and determined that the driver was a citizen of Mexico, unlawfully present in the United States. BPAs also learned that Lopez had been paid to accompany the driver from Tucson to Phoenix. [Case Number: 26-MJ-8411]United States v. Jose Avendano-Soto. On Oct. 13, 2026, Jose Avendano-Soto was charged by criminal complaint with Transportation of an Illegal Alien. On Oct. 8, 2026, a Border Patrol Agent (BPA) observed an SUV driving directly alongside the US-Mexico border wall before stopping. Seven individuals exited the vehicle and deployed a rope ladder to climb over the wall. Five members of the group continued walking north into the United States. The two remaining individuals covered the group's footprints and returned to Mexico. BPAs found the five individuals later, hiding among vegetation wearing camouflage clothing. BPAs determined four were citizens of Guatemala and that one was a citizen of Mexico, and that all were unlawfully present in the United States. BPAs also learned that one of them, Avendano-Soto, was serving as the group’s foot guide into the United States. [Case Number: 26-MJ-1825]A criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
RELEASE NUMBER: 2026-178_October 16, 2026 Immigration Enforcement# # #For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.