EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — Federal authorities arrested two U.S.-Mexico border crossers in separate incidents in El Paso and Fort Hancock last month, cases that mark 1,709 new immigration and immigration-related prosecutions filed during the six-week federal government shutdown, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas announced Friday.
El Paso area cases
On Oct. 30, Mexican National Hugo Fabian Cazares-Garcia was arrested in El Paso after he claimed his entry documents were stolen, and he was denied entry into the U.S. through the Paso Del Norte Port of Entry.
He was previously removed from the U.S. to Mexico eight times, the most recent being on Dec. 5, 2024, following an eight-month imprisonment for his second DUI. In addition to his DUIs, Cazares-Garcia has been convicted twice for burglary, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
On Oct. 15, U.S. Border Patrol agents arrested Gerardo Francisco Hernandez-Acosta, a U.S. citizen, after he was allegedly observed picking up four undocumented migrants in Fort Hancock. The criminal complaint alleged that Hernandez-Acosta expected to be paid $100 per migrant to transport them from the pickup location to the Greyhound bus station in El Paso.
Hernandez-Acosta’s lengthy criminal record spans from 1983 to 2021, including six convictions for burglary of a vehicle, along with five additional convictions for property theft. He was indicted on Wednesday, Nov. 12, for one count of conspiracy to transport migrants and one count of transporting migrants for financial gain, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Other cases
Two undocumented migrants, 20-year-old Derian Lenin Estupinan Chacon and 22-year-old Francarlos Requena Vasquez, were arrested in San Antonio in late October on criminal charges related to alleged firearm possession.
On Oct. 26, A Honduran national, Manuel Elias Ramos-Santos, was arrested in the San Antonio area and charged with one count of migrant in possession of a firearm after a traffic stop. A search of his vehicle led to the discovery of a 9mm handgun with a fully loaded magazine. He was also in possession of a counterfeit $100 bill, a counterfeit Social Security card, and a counterfeit Legal Permanent Resident Card, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Mexican national Florentino Cortes Uribe was arrested on Oct. 28, after he allegedly sold cocaine and firearms to an undercover San Antonio police officer on multiple occasions.
On Nov. 10, Juan Jesus Carranza Jr., of Laredo, was arrested for allegedly leading the Texas Department of Public Safety troopers and deputies from the McMullen County and Atascosa County Sheriff’s Offices on a high-speed chase as he was driving a stolen vehicle and was transporting five undocumented migrants. Carranza eventually crashed and was arrested with four of the migrants. The fifth was taken to the hospital. In addition, a DPS trooper was also injured in the crash. Carranza was charged with migrant smuggling and, if convicted, faces up to 20 years in federal prison.
These cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that aims to “repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect communities from the perpetrators of violent crime,” according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
“Despite not getting paid for the past six weeks, the Western District of Texas maintained its diligent pursuit of bringing to justice those who would violate our immigration laws,” U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons said. “I’m so proud of and thankful for all of our Western District of Texas team members who remained committed to the cause despite the difficult circumstances imposed upon them.”
The U.S. Attorney’s Office stated the cases were the result of cooperation among federal, state, and local agencies, including ICE, U.S. Border Patrol, DEA, FBI, ATF, and the U.S. Marshals Service.
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