District of Arizona Charges 139 Individuals for Immigration-Related Criminal Conduct this Week

PHOENIX, Ariz. – During the week of enforcement operations from Jan. 31 through Feb. 6, 2026, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona brought immigration-related criminal charges against 139 individuals. Specifically, the United States filed 84 cases in which aliens illegally re-entered the United States, and the United States also charged 40 aliens for illegally entering the United States. In its ongoing effort to deter unlawful immigration, the United States filed 13 cases against 15 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 U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE-ERO), ICE- Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-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. Pedro Nunez-Espino. Nunez-Espino was charged by complaint with Re-entry of Removed Alien, Feb. 6, 2026. The defendant was previously removed from the United States on May 3, 2015, and was previously convicted of Possession of Narcotic Drugs for Sale, a felony, in the Superior Court of Arizona, Maricopa County. In that case, Nunez-Espino was sentenced to six months of imprisonment followed by three years of probation. 26-6046MJ, Phoenix. 

United States v. Pedro Cazares-Diaz. Cazares-Diaz was charged by complaint with Re-entry of Removed Alien, Feb. 4, 2026. The defendant was previously removed from the United States on May 18, 2010, after being convicted of Assault with a Deadly Weapon/Force Likely to Cause Great Bodily Injury, and Receiving Stolen Property, felonies, in the Superior Court of California, San Diego, South County Division. In that case, Cazares-Diaz was sentenced to two years of imprisonment and one year and four months of imprisonment, respectively for each count, to be served concurrently. 26-6036MJ, 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:    2026-023_February 6 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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