District of Arizona Charges 136 Individuals for Immigration-Related Criminal Conduct this Week

PHOENIX, Ariz. – During the week of enforcement operations from Jan.10 through Jan. 16, 2026, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona brought immigration-related criminal charges against 136 individuals. Specifically, the United States filed 76 cases in which aliens illegally re-entered the United States, and the United States also charged 39 aliens for illegally entering the United States. In its ongoing effort to deter unlawful immigration, the United States filed 19 cases against 21 individuals responsible for smuggling illegal aliens into and within the District of Arizona.

These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE ERO), ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).

Recent matters of interest include:

United States v. Elias Alfonso Diaz-Martinez. Diaz-Martinez was charged by complaint with Transportation of an Illegal Alien, Jan. 12, 2026. A deputy with the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office observed a car traveling 85 mph in a 75-mph speed zone westbound on I-10 and initiated a traffic stop for speeding, failure to maintain a lane, and an unsecured license plate. The deputy requested identification from the driver, later identified as Diaz-Martinez, and the front seat passenger. The deputy noticed dirt and grass covered the passenger’s floorboard, indicating a potential human smuggling event. Immigration checks confirmed that Diaz-Martinez is a citizen of Venezuela, and the passenger is a citizen of Mexico, both unlawfully present in the United States. 26-8001MJ – Phoenix.

A criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

RELEASE NUMBER:    2026-005_January 20 Immigration Enforcement

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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/

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