PHOENIX, Ariz. – During the week of enforcement operations from Oct. 3 through Oct. 9, 2026, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona brought immigration-related criminal charges against 345 individuals. Specifically, the United States filed 151 cases in which aliens illegally re-entered the United States, and the United States also charged 172 aliens for illegally entering the United States. In its ongoing effort to deter unlawful immigration, the United States filed 21 cases against 22 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 of America v. Favela-Favela. On Oct. 5, 2026, Christina Favela-Favela was charged by criminal complaint with Transportation of an Illegal Alien. On Oct. 4, Favela drove a vehicle with her three children to the San Luis, Arizona Port of Entry seeking admission to the United States. Custom and Border Patrol (CBP) officers referred Favela’s vehicle to secondary inspection. CBP officers subsequently learned that on July 7, 2026, Favela had attempted to cross into the United States via the Lukeville, Arizona Port of Entry with two children and a male alien concealed under personal items. With this knowledge, BPAs used a canine unit on Oct. 4 and found a male passenger hiding in the fetal position under personal items in the cargo area of Favela’s vehicle. CPB officers determined the male was an illegal alien without legal authority to be in the United States. [Case Number: 26-MJ-1787]United States v. Luis Angel Diaz-Jimenez. On Oct. 5, 2026, Luis Angel Diaz-Jimenez was charged by criminal complaint with Transportation of an Illegal Alien for Profit. On Oct. 2, Border Patrol Agents (BPAs) attempted to stop a Dodge Charger for an immigration inspection. Instead of yielding to BPAs, the driver, Diaz-Jimenez, accelerated, reaching speeds of approximately 100 mph before leaving the roadway, driving through a fenceline, and coming to a stop in the desert. Three subjects, including the Diaz-Jimenez, then got out of the vehicle and ran. BPAs pursued the subjects on foot and apprehended all three. The two passengers were determined to be citizens of Mexico, unlawfully present in the United States. [Case Number: 26-MJ-10005]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: 2026-171_October 9, 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.