U.S. Attorney’s Office Filed 99 Border-Related Cases This Week

SAN DIEGO - Federal prosecutors in the Southern District of California filed 99 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 October 3, 2026, Efrain Antonio Avalos, a United States citizen, was arrested and charged with Transportation of Illegal Aliens. According to a complaint, Border Patrol Agents attempted to conduct a vehicle stop on a Hyundai suspected of transporting illegal aliens. Defendant failed to yield and instead sped up to about 105 miles per hour. Border Patrol Agents deployed a vehicle immobilization device and the vehicle's left tires made positive contact with the device. Defendant continued to flee at a high rate of speed, failed to stop at a stop sign and collided into an oncoming vehicle. The Defendant exited the vehicle after the collision Border Patrol Agents observed the material witness crawling away from the Hyundai with carpet coverings on his feet and his head covered in blood. The Hyundai then caught on fire.
  
• On October 5, 2026, Victor Hugo Gutierrez De La Torre, a Mexican citizen, was arrested and charged with Importation of Controlled Substance. According to a complaint, Customs and Border Protection officers discovered 1,038 pounds of methamphetamine concealed in the fuel tank of the 2020 Volvo VNL 760 tractor the defendant was driving as he applied for entry to the U.S. at the Otay Mesa Port of Entry.
  
• September 6, 2026, Justin Jimenez, a United States citizen, was arrested and charged with Importation of Controlled Substance. According to a complaint, Customs and Border Protection officers discovered 91 pounds of Xanax concealed in the floorboards of his Volkswagen Jetta GLI the defendant 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.