Federal prosecutors in the Southern District of California filed 122 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. The U.S. Attorney's Office highlighted its ongoing efforts to combat various forms of cross-border crime.
The Southern District of California, encompassing San Diego and Imperial counties, is the fourth-busiest federal district, largely due to its 140-mile border with Mexico and the San Ysidro Port of Entry, the world's busiest land border crossing. Beyond reactive border crimes, the office also prosecutes proactive cases related to terrorism, organized crime, drugs, and human trafficking.
Among the recent arrests, Manuel Salvador Hernandez Perez, a Mexican national, was charged with importing 185 pounds of methamphetamine found in his truck at the San Ysidro Port of Entry on June 18. On June 22, Ismael Molina-Ayala, also a Mexican national, was arrested three miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border, charged with being a deported alien found in the United States after having been deported three times previously.
Additionally, on June 23, Jose Alonso Fernandez-Zavala and Edgar Luna-Ochoa, Mexican nationals, were charged with attempted bringing in aliens for financial gain after being intercepted as co-captains of a panga-style vessel carrying 26 non-citizens. Passengers on the vessel were reportedly paying between $4,000 and $17,000 each for smuggling into the U.S. by sea, with several also charged with attempted reentry after prior deportations. These cases were supported by numerous federal, state, and local law enforcement partners. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.