District of Arizona Charges 150 Individuals for Immigration-Related Criminal Conduct this Week (DOJ)

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For Immediate Release

U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Arizona

PHOENIX, Ariz. - During the week of enforcement operations from Jan.17 through Jan. 23, 2026, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Arizona brought immigration-related criminal charges against 150 individuals. Specifically, the United States filed 87 cases in which aliens illegally re-entered the United States, and the United States also charged 45 aliens for illegally entering the United States. In its ongoing effort to deter unlawful immigration, the United States filed 15 cases against 17 individuals responsible for smuggling illegal aliens into and within the District of Arizona. Protecting law enforcement officers is a key part of border vigilance, and federal prosecutors also charged one defendant for assaulting a Border Patrol agent.

These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE ERO), ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), 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).

Recent matters of interest include:

United States v. Pablo Gomez-Luvanos. Gomez-Luvanos was charged by complaint with Re-entry of Removed Alien, Jan. 19, 2026. The defendant was previously removed from the United States on June 11, 2019, after being convicted of Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon, a felony, in the Superior Court of Arizona, Maricopa County. In that case, Gomez Luvanos was sentenced to three-and-a-half years of imprisonment. 26-8044MJ, Phoenix.

United States v. Efrain Gutierrez-Perez. Gutierrez-Perez was charged by complaint with Re-entry of Removed Alien, Jan. 19, 2026. The defendant was previously removed from the United States on Dec. 11, 2019, after being convicted of Aggravated Driving under the Influence of Intoxicating Liquor or Drugs, a felony, in the Superior Court of Arizona, Maricopa County. In that case, Gutierrez-Perez was sentenced to four months of incarceration and two years of probation. 26-8043MJ, Phoenix.

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: 2026-007_January 26 Immigration Enforcement

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For more information on the U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/

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Contact

Public Affairs
Lennea Montandon
Telephone: (602) 514-7542
[email protected]

Updated January 26, 2026