Since the inauguration of President Donald Trump, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has been helping immigration enforcement authorities clean up the nation's border as part of Operation Take Back America, a new Trump-era initiative to "repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from perpetrators of violent crime."
To fulfill Trump's directives for cracking down on illegal immigration, on March 6, the DOJ issued a memorandum establishing Operation Take Back America, which "streamlines efforts and resources from the Department's Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN)."
In accordance with this nationwide mission, just last week, U.S. attorneys across southwestern border districts, including Arizona, Central California, Southern California, New Mexico, Southern Texas, and Western Texas, charged more than 960 illegal aliens with immigration-related crimes, the Trump DOJ announced Tuesday.
The Southern District of Texas filed 257 criminal cases concerning immigration and border security. Of those, 98 face allegations of illegally re-entering the country, with the majority of them already convicted of various felonies ranging from narcotics to violent sex crimes. 132 are charged with illegally crossing the border, 23 cases involve human smuggling, and the remainder relate to firearms and other immigration matters. Among those charged are two illegal-alien human smugglers who engaged in "a dangerous pursuit and crash," per prosecutors.
The District of Arizona brought immigration-related criminal charges against 260 foreign nationals. 96 of these cases involve aliens who illegally re-entered the United States, and nine cases are against human smugglers responsible for trafficking illegal aliens into and within the District of Arizona.
The Central District of California filed criminal charges against 20 illegal aliens found in the U.S. following deportation operations. Many of those charged were previously convicted of felony offenses, including vandalism and firearm crimes, prior to their removal.
The Southern District of California launched 90 cases charging suspects with unlawful transportation of illegal aliens, re-entering the U.S. after deportation, being a previously deported alien caught in the United States, and importation of controlled substances. In addition to "reactive" border-centered crimes, U.S. attorneys are also prosecuting a significant number of "proactive" cases related to terrorism, organized crime, drugs, white-collar fraud, violent crime, cybercrime, human trafficking, and national security.
The District of New Mexico brought forth a slew of criminal charges, including illegal re-entry after deportation (37 suspects charged), illegal alien smuggling (six charged), and illegal entry (32 charged). In one case, David Serrano-Dominguez, a Mexican national illegally living in the United States, was charged via criminal complaint with being an alien in possession of firearms, possession of an unregistered short-barrel rifle, and unlawful re-entry as a previously deported alien. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents arrested Serrano-Dominguez at an apartment complex in Deming, New Mexico, where he had been residing. Investigators had identified social media posts showing Serrano-Dominguez in possession of and discharging handguns and rifles, according to authorities. Upon apprehension, agents allegedly discovered 10 firearms and approximately 500 rounds of ammunition in Serrano-Dominguez's apartment.
The Western District of Texas filed 261 immigration-related criminal cases. Of those charged, Guatemalan national Noe Mardoquero Calel-Cabinal was pulled over on Highway 85 near Dilley by a Texas Department of Public Safety trooper. The area is known to be commonly used as smuggling grounds for transporting illegal aliens further into the U.S. from Mexico. When a U.S. Border Patrol agent appeared to assist with the traffic stop, Calel-Cabinal allegedly presented a Guatemalan identification card, did not possess proper immigration documents, and failed to provide a reason for being in the area that aligned with his travel route. Law enforcement says Calel-Cabinal later confessed to being there to pick up and transport four illegal aliens to San Antonio, a hustle that would have paid him $1,300 per illegal alien. The contents of Calel-Cabinal's cell phone allegedly confirmed his confession, and he was charged with one count of conspiracy to transport illegal aliens.
Thanks to President Trump, illegal immigration into our great country has virtually stopped. Despite the radical left's lies, new legislation wasn't needed to secure our border, just a new president.
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