U.S. Attorney’s Office Adds Nearly 250 New Federal Immigration Cases in Western District of Texas This Week

SAN ANTONIO - Federal prosecutors in the Western District of Texas filed 245 new immigration and immigration-related criminal cases from April 17 to April 23, announced U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons. Charges were brought against human smugglers and illegal aliens with past convictions for numerous DWIs, violent crime, including crimes against children, drug trafficking, and multiple prior removals.

Among the new cases, Daniel Calderon-Ortiz, a convicted felon and illegal alien from Mexico, was arrested after U.S. Border Patrol agents found that he had allegedly transported an illegal alien to an apartment in El Paso. A criminal complaint alleges that Calderon-Ortiz had picked up the illegal alien off of I-10 and had previously picked up other aliens and housed them in the apartment. Calderon-Ortiz was last deported in September 2014 following a conviction for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon the month prior.

In Alpine, USBP agents arrested U.S. citizen Peyton Russell Ortiz on April 19 near Big Bend National Park. The vehicle allegedly driven by Ortiz was linked to a failed smuggling attempt that occurred in February. As described in a criminal complaint, agents observed the vehicle slow down and stop on the side of the road upon seeing a marked USBP patrol unit. Without activating their emergency equipment, agents decided to conduct a welfare check. The complaint notes Ortiz's unkempt appearance and alleges that he exhibited signs of nervousness, erratic behavior, and movement while agents questioned him. Ortiz allegedly stated that he and a female front passenger were the only two occupants in the vehicle, though upon further investigation, USBP agents detained five individuals attempting to hide in the rear passenger seat and six additional concealed individuals in the truck bed-all 11 of whom were confirmed to be illegal aliens. The complaint further alleges that a search of the vehicle resulted in the discovery of a loaded firearm in the front seat center console. Ortiz is charged with one count of human smuggling.

Ricardo Marquina Castillo, an illegal alien from Mexico, was arrested on April 16 and charged with illegal re-entry in Del Rio after just being deported the week before. Marquina Castillo's criminal record contains five DWIs out of Minnesota. His removal through El Paso on April 7 was his 11th.

Mexican national Martin Macedo-Aroyo was arrested on April 18 near Maverick and charged with illegal re-entry. His criminal record consists of five convictions, including a felony third DWI and two convictions for contempt of court. He was deported for the second time on Sept. 29, 2025.

Alexis Santos Alvarado, an illegal alien from Honduras, was charged with illegal re-entry in Del Rio. Santos Alvarado was convicted in July 2025 for unlawful restraint of a minor and sentenced to one year in jail. He was deported the following month through Harlingen.

Yimy Jose Lopez-Mejia aka Jimmy Lopez-Mejia, also an illegal alien from Honduras, was charged with illegal re-entry in Del Rio, having been previously removed from the U.S. four times, the last being in December through Miami, Florida. Lopez-Mejia is a convicted felon with a confirmed record of aggravated assault and robbery.

On April 20, Mexican national Joel Gomez-Cruz was transferred to ICE custody in San Antonio from the Bexar County Adult Detention Center after he was sentenced to 209 days confinement for assault causing bodily injury. Gomez-Cruz was arrested on Sept. 22, 2025, for assault on a peace officer/judge. Through immigration records, he was determined to be an illegal alien previously removed from the United States in 2013. His past convictions include aiding and abetting possession with intent to distribute marijuana in 2006, which resulted in 24 months imprisonment, and illegal re-entry in 2010, resulting in 46 months imprisonment.

These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including ICE, 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), with additional assistance from state and local law enforcement partners.

The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Texas comprises 68 counties located in the central and western areas of Texas, encompasses nearly 93,000 square miles and an estimated population of 7.6 million people. The district includes three of the five largest cities in Texas-San Antonio, Austin and El Paso-and shares 660 miles of common border with the Republic of Mexico.

These cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.

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.

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