PHOENIX, Ariz. – During the week of enforcement operations from Sep. 5 through Sep. 11, 2026, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona brought immigration-related criminal charges against 306 individuals. Specifically, the United States filed 145 cases in which aliens illegally re-entered the United States, and the United States also charged 137 aliens for illegally entering the United States. In its ongoing effort to deter unlawful immigration, the United States filed 20 cases against 24 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. Luis Carlos Leyva-Clark. On Sep. 10, 2026, Luis Carlos Leyva-Clark was charged by criminal complaint with Transportation of an Illegal Alien. On Sep. 9, 2026, a Department of Public Safety Trooper stopped a Nissan Altima on I-10 for displaying suspended plates. As he approached the vehicle, the trooper saw that the front seat passenger and the three backseat passengers were wearing camouflage clothing. Border Patrol Agents (BPAs) were called to the scene and confirmed that the four passengers were aliens, all unlawfully present in the United States. [Case Number: 26-MJ-5444]United States v. Frank Bubbico. Frank Bubbico was charged by criminal complaint on Sep. 8, 2026, with one count of Transportation of an Illegal Alien for Profit. On Sep. 4, 2026, BPAs observed a Honda Civic traveling at a high rate of speed on State Route 82. Records checks revealed that the Honda Civic’s license plate belonged to a different vehicle, so BPAs attempted to stop the vehicle. The driver, Bubbico, initially activated his hazard lights and appeared to be looking for a spot to pull over. However, Bubbico failed to yield and instead accelerated, reaching speeds of approximately 70 miles per hour. Other BPAs in the area deployed a vehicle immobilization device and successfully spiked the Honda Civic, but Bubbico still did not slow down. Bubbico’s vehicle lost both front tires as it was approaching the town of Sonoita and he was finally pulled over by a Department of Public Safety trooper. BPAs joined the trooper and found a Mexican citizen hiding in the vehicle who was unlawfully present in the United States. [Case Number: 26-MJ-03864]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: 2026-156_September 11, 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.