The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California filed 114 border-related cases this week, addressing charges including bringing in aliens for financial gain, reentering the U.S. after deportation, and importation of controlled substances. This significant volume underscores the district's role as the fourth-busiest federal district, largely due to its extensive border-related criminal activity.
The Southern District of California, which covers San Diego and Imperial counties, shares a 140-mile border with Mexico. It is home to the San Ysidro Port of Entry, recognized as the world’s busiest land border crossing, connecting San Diego and Tijuana. Beyond reactive border crimes, the office also handles proactive cases involving terrorism, organized crime, drugs, and human trafficking.
Among the arrests this week, Jose Alberto Garcia Zamudio, a U.S. citizen, was charged with importing over 466 pounds of cocaine found in a commercial bus's gas tank at San Ysidro. He admitted to being paid $13,000 for the smuggling. Ashley Aremy Ruiz, also a U.S. citizen, faced charges for attempted transportation of illegal aliens after trying to pick up an alien from a smuggler at a Chula Vista Costco.
Additionally, Federico Cruz Alverdin, a Mexican citizen previously deported, was arrested by Border Patrol agents hiding near the border, charged with being a deported alien found in the United States. These cases were supported by various federal law enforcement partners, including Homeland Security Investigations and U.S. Border Patrol. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.