District of Arizona Charges 185 Individuals for Immigration-Related Criminal Conduct this Week

PHOENIX, Ariz. – During the week of enforcement operations from March 14 through March 20, 2026, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona brought immigration-related criminal charges against 185 individuals. Specifically, the United States filed 108 cases in which aliens illegally re-entered the United States, and the United States also charged 53 aliens for illegally entering the United States. In its ongoing effort to deter unlawful immigration, the United States filed 20 cases against 24 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 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. Ruby Chaidez. On March 14, 2026, Ruby Chaidez was charged by criminal complaint with Transportation of an Illegal Alien. A deputy with the Pinal County Sheriff’s Department observed a vehicle traveling westbound on I-10 and conducted a records check on the vehicle, which showed that its registration had expired. The deputy began driving behind the vehicle and watched as the driver briefly veered off the highway. The deputy turned on his emergency lights and tried to initiate a vehicle stop, but the driver continued for about half a mile before pulling off the road. The deputy then learned that the driver, Chaidez, had two valid arrest warrants out of Maricopa County Superior Court. He placed Chaidez under arrest and searched Chaidez and the vehicle. According to the complaint, the deputy found both drug paraphernalia and an adult male hiding in the vehicle’s trunk. Immigration checks revealed the individual in the trunk to be a citizen of Mexico, unlawfully present in the United States. [Case Number: 26-MJ-9085MJ]

United States v. Esteban Caldera-Serrato. Esteban Caldera-Serrato was charged by criminal complaint with Re-entry of Removed Alien on March 17, 2026. Caldera-Serrato was previously removed from the United States on Feb. 11, 2005, after being convicted of 2nd Degree Forgery, a felony, in Hall County Superior Court, State of Georgia. In that case, Caldera-Serrato was sentenced to two years in prison. [Case Number: 26-MJ-8088]

United States v. Aaron Cruz-Valderas. On March 16, 2026, Aaron Cruz-Valderas was charged by criminal complaint with Transportation of an Illegal Alien for Profit. On March 13, 2026, Border Patrol agents attempted to stop Cruz-Valderas on suspicion of alien smuggling. Cruz-Valderas initially pulled over on State Route 86. However, when agents walked up to his truck and asked Cruz-Valderas to turn the truck off, he instead accelerated and fled. He eventually drove into the desert, going through cacti and brush. Additional Border Patrol agents also responded, ultimately locating the truck and apprehending Cruz-Valderas. The agents also found a passenger in Cruz-Valderas' vehicle who was determined to be a citizen of Mexico, unlawfully present in the United States. [Case Number: 26-MJ-1609]

These cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

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:    2026-049_March 20, 2026, 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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