The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas announced the filing of 208 new federal cases between June 27 and July 2 in a broad enforcement action highlighting the growing number of immigration and immigration-related offenses. United States Attorney Justin R. Simmons confirmed theย charges cover various jurisdictions in the district and target both repeat immigration offenders and individuals engaged in significant criminal activities.
The cases involve multiple illegalย re-entry prosecutions, drug trafficking, child sexual abuse, and immigrant smuggling schemes. Several defendants have prior felony convictions or have faced multiple expulsions from the country.
Repeat Offenders and Serious Criminal Records
Erik Garcia-Rodriguez, also known as Eduardo Soto-Garcia, and Gerardo Reyes, a Mexican national convicted in Dallas County of cocaine and heroin trafficking in 2011, are among those indicted. After being deported in December 2011, Garcia-Rodriguez was stopped by Texas Department of Public Safety officers in San Antonio. An ICE Enforcement and Expulsion Operations officer confirmed his illegal status and previous expulsion. He is now facing fresh federal charges for unauthorized reentry.
Another famous instance was Ismael Nieto Balverde, who was charged in Austin with possessing heroin with the intent to distribute. A Drug Enforcement Administration investigation resulted in two controlled purchases from Balverde, totaling more than 2,000 grams of heroin.
Roberto Adan Gandara-Ramirez, a Mexican national who had previously been deported in 2015, was detained in Ector County on a warrant for alleged child sexual assault. He was released to ICE custody after being arrested by county officers.
Smuggling Schemes and False Identity Use
On June 29, Daniel Hernandez of Asherton was apprehended near Carrizo Springs for conspiring to bring an illegal alien deeper into the United States. He was apprehended by the Dimmit County Sheriff’s Office, who contacted US Border Patrol. There were two US citizens and one undocumented Mexican national in the vehicle. Hernandez, who was convicted of alien smuggling in 2014, allegedly informed authorities that a facilitator had instructed him to pick up the extraterrestrial.
Eduardo Lopez-Castillo, who was captured near Fort Hancock, faces federal charges as well. The convicted felon has been deported three times, with the most recent conviction in April 2024 for illegal re-entry.
In another incident, Alfonso Lopez-Castro attempted to enter the United States at the Paso Del Norte Port of Entry by using someone else’s driver’s license from New Mexico. He initially claimed to officials he was a US citizen returning home but then revealed the ID was not his. Lopez-Castro has been removed six times before.
Border Surveillance and Arrests Continue
Isaac Nolasco-Ramirez, a Mexican national, was apprehended in El Paso after being discovered hiding beneath shrubbery near the Tornillo Port of Entry with three other unauthorized immigrants. He allegedly told investigators that he crossed the border using a rope ladder and had instructions to direct the party to a pickup place.
Two undocumented individuals jumped the international fence, leading to the arrest of Diego Mota and Isaac Steven Hernandez, both US citizens. One of the immigrants used a phone to contact the smugglers via WhatsApp. Law officials nabbed Mota when he came in a Jeep and later apprehended Hernandez following a foot chase. Hernandez allegedly admitted to participating in smuggling eight times before.
Additional Repeat Entrants and Criminal Histories
Hector Antonio Ostorga Hernandez, a Salvadoran national with two previous deportations, was arrested in Eagle Pass for unlawful re-entry. His most recent expulsion was in December 2024, after serving a sentence for domestic abuse in Houston.
Also in Eagle Pass, Jose Ignacio Lopez-Ortiz, a Mexican national, was charged with illegal re-entry. He was previously deported in 2013 and has two DWI offenses in 2023 and 2025.
Juan Enrique Landeros-Gonzalez was detained in Del Rio after being deported for the sixth time just two weeks before. He has been convicted of several crimes, including criminal mischief and illegal use of a vehicle.
U.S. Border Patrol officials in Eagle Pass captured Joel Escobar-Chavez and Donaldo Robles-Zarate, both Mexican nationals with six prior deportations. Byron Antonio Almazan, a Guatemalan national, was also arrested after being deported five times. In December 2024, he served a 189-day sentence for unauthorized re-entry.
These latest indictments highlight the Justice Department’s persistent focus on pursuing individuals with a history of immigration violations, substantial criminal records, and involvement in organized smuggling.
