U.S. Attorney’s Office Filed 107 Border-Related Cases This Week

SAN DIEGO - Federal prosecutors in the Southern District of California filed 107 border-related cases this week, including charges of bringing in aliens for financial gain, reentering the U.S. after deportation, and importation of controlled substances.

The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of California is the fourth-busiest federal district, largely due to a high volume of border-related crimes. This district, encompassing San Diego and Imperial counties, shares a 140-mile border with Mexico. It includes the San Ysidro Port of Entry, the world's busiest land border crossing, connecting San Diego (America's eighth largest city) and Tijuana (Mexico's second largest city).

In addition to reactive border-related crimes, the Southern District of California also prosecutes a significant number of proactive cases related to terrorism, organized crime, drugs, white-collar fraud, violent crime, cybercrime, human trafficking and national security. Recent developments in those and other significant areas of prosecution can be found here.

A sample of border-related arrests this week:

• On August 1, Oscar Salado and Brayan Manuel Castro Sanchez, Mexican nationals, were arrested and charged with Attempted Bringing in Aliens for Financial Gain. According to a complaint, Salado and Castro were the captains of a smuggling vessel that was intercepted by the U.S. Coast Guard near the entrance of Quivira Basin in Mission Bay. The nine undocumented aliens aboard the vessel included the defendants plus Luz Mayda Andres Ignacio, Jorge Garcia Santiago and Everado Gonzalez-Gonzalez, who were charged with Attempted Reentry after Deportation.
• On August 4, Jose Alexis Rojas Palomera, a United States citizen, was arrested and charged with Importation of a Controlled Substance. According to a complaint, Customs and Border Protection officers discovered 70.33 pounds of fentanyl, 29.85 pounds of cocaine, and 24.52 pounds of methamphetamine concealed in the spare tire, quarter panels, fuel tank, rear seat, fire wall area and center console of the 2021 Volkswagen Jetta she was driving as she applied for entry to the U.S. at the San Ysidro Port of Entry.
• On August 5, Gustavo Espinoza Hernandez, a United States citizen, was arrested and charged with Importation of Controlled Substance. According to a complaint, Customs and Border Protection officers discovered 74.91 pounds of methamphetamine and 23.63 pounds of fentanyl concealed in the driver side floor, front passenger floor, front passenger seat, passenger backrest, passenger rear seat, and passenger backseat of the 2019 Volkswagen Atlas he was driving as he applied for entry to the U.S. at the San Ysidro Port of Entry.

The immigration cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE ERO), Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), with the support and assistance of state and local law enforcement partners.

Indictments and criminal complaints are merely allegations and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.