The following press release was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas.
SAN ANTONIO – Federal prosecutors in the Western District of Texas filed 250 new immigration and immigration-related criminal cases from July 24 through July 31, U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons announced.
Charges were brought against alleged human smugglers and individuals accused of being in the country illegally who have prior convictions for offenses including driving while intoxicated, violent crimes, sexual abuse, theft and multiple prior removals from the United States.
Among the new cases, Manuel Sanchez-Sanchez, a Mexican national with a prior felony conviction for assault to commit rape, was arrested approximately four miles west of the Fort Hancock Port of Entry. Sanchez-Sanchez is charged with illegal re-entry after previously being removed from the United States in 2008.
Reginaldo Cardona-Cardona, a Mexican national, was also arrested in Fort Hancock, less than two miles west of the port of entry. Cardona-Cardona has previously been removed from the United States three times, most recently in June 2024. According to the release, he has prior convictions for assault causing bodily injury, burglary of a building, driving while intoxicated and two convictions for driving with an invalid license.
The ICE Fugitive Operations Team in El Paso encountered and arrested Francisco Ibarra-Quinones as part of an investigation into individuals who had previously been removed from the United States and allegedly returned without permission. Ibarra-Quinones was previously deported in 2009 following a conviction for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. He is now charged with illegal re-entry.
Ismael Guillermo Cedillo-Martinez, a Mexican national who has been removed from the United States seven times, was arrested by U.S. Border Patrol agents near Eagle Pass and charged with illegal re-entry. According to the release, Cedillo-Martinez has prior convictions for three DWI offenses, improper entry by an alien and one previous illegal re-entry offense.
Jose Efrain Corrales-Corrales, a Honduran national, was also arrested near Eagle Pass and charged with illegal re-entry. Corrales-Corrales was last deported on Nov. 23, 2025. According to the release, he has prior convictions for three DUI offenses, child cruelty and possession of a controlled substance.
In Austin, Abel Alejandro Martinez Robles, a Mexican national, was transferred into ICE custody after being found in the Burnet County Jail, where he had been booked on a charge of failure to identify. According to the release, Martinez Robles has been removed from the United States twice and has a prior conviction for aggravated sexual abuse.
Nelson Romero-Membreno, a Salvadoran national, was found in the Travis County Jail, where he was serving a sentence for a second DWI conviction. According to the release, Romero-Membreno has been deported twice and has a prior conviction for unlawful restraint with serious bodily injury.
The cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including ICE, U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the FBI, the U.S. Marshals Service and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, with additional assistance from state and local law enforcement agencies.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas serves 68 counties across central and western Texas, covering nearly 93,000 square miles and an estimated population of 7.6 million people. The district includes San Antonio, Austin and El Paso and shares 660 miles of border with Mexico.
According to the release, the cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide Department of Justice initiative focused on illegal immigration, transnational criminal organizations and violent crime.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office noted that indictments and criminal complaints are allegations only, and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
