The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona announced that 299 individuals faced immigration-related criminal charges during a week of enforcement operations from May 9 to May 15, 2026. This significant enforcement effort included charges for illegal re-entry, illegal entry, and alien smuggling.
Specifically, the United States filed 147 cases against aliens who illegally re-entered the country and charged 137 aliens for illegally entering the United States. Additionally, 15 individuals were charged in 15 separate cases for smuggling illegal aliens into and within the District of Arizona. These operations were supported by federal law enforcement partners including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE-ERO, ICE-HSI), 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).
Among the notable cases, Kyle Bowman Marsaw was charged on May 11, 2026, with one count of Transportation of Illegal Aliens for Profit. Marsaw allegedly led Border Patrol agents on a high-speed chase on the Tohono O'odham Nation before abandoning his vehicle and attempting to hide with two Mexican citizens illegally present in the U.S.
Derek Dialesandro Amperez-Toledo faced a similar charge on May 13, 2026, for one count of Transportation of Illegal Aliens for Profit. He allegedly failed to yield to Border Patrol agents on the Tohono O'odham Nation, leading to a pursuit and the apprehension of himself and three Mexican citizens illegally present in the U.S. Amperez-Toledo reportedly instructed the subjects to hide and then flee.
Ever Emmanuel Gonzalez was charged on May 11, 2026, with Transportation of an Illegal Alien for Profit and Improper Entry by an Alien after a Department of Public Safety trooper stopped his vehicle for a license plate violation. Gonzalez and his three passengers were all determined to be Mexican citizens illegally present in the United States.
These actions are part of "Operation Take Back America," a nationwide initiative by the Department of Justice aimed at combating illegal immigration, eliminating cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protecting communities from violent crime. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.