District of Arizona Charges 240 Individuals for Immigration-Related Criminal Conduct this Week

PHOENIX, Ariz. – During the week of enforcement operations from April 11 through April 17, 2026, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona brought immigration-related criminal charges against 240 individuals. Specifically, the United States filed 152 cases in which aliens illegally re-entered the United States, and the United States also charged 68 aliens for illegally entering the United States. In its ongoing effort to deter unlawful immigration, the United States filed 17 cases against 19 individuals responsible for smuggling illegal aliens into and within the District of Arizona. Protecting law enforcement officers is a key part of border vigilance, and federal prosecutors also charged one defendant for assaulting a Border Patrol agent.

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. Rae Ashley Paya. Rae Ashley Paya was charged by criminal complaint on April 13, 2026, with Transportation of Illegal Aliens for Profit. On April 11, U.S. Border Patrol agents attempted to conduct a traffic stop of a suspicious vehicle near Why, Arizona. The driver abruptly stopped before fleeing at a high rate of speed. Agents pursued the vehicle as it reached speeds of 100 mph. About four miles later, the driver abruptly stopped again, and four subjects exited the vehicle and ran. Agents apprehended the subjects. The driver was identified as Rae Ashley Paya. The three other subjects were determined to be citizens of Mexico, illegally present in the United States. [Case Number: 26-MJ-04565]

United States v. Jose Ivan Solano-Perez. Jose Ivan Solano-Perez was charged by complaint with Bringing Aliens to the United States Unlawfully, on April 15, 2026. On April 13, U.S. Border Patrol agents discovered multiple individuals at the summit of the Sierra Pinta Mountains near Wellton, Arizona. Agents in a helicopter observed two individuals inside a cave with several tree branches covering the opening and additional individuals further up the mountain. Agents located and apprehended five individuals—including Solano-Perez—all wearing camouflage clothing. Agents learned that Solano-Perez acted as a foot guide, leading the group from Mexico into the United States. Immigration checks confirmed that two of the four individuals traveling with Solano-Perez were citizens of Mexico, one was a citizen in Honduras, and one was a citizen of El Salvador, all unlawfully present in the United States. [Case Number: 26-MJ-1289]

United States v. Carlos John Peters. Carlos John Peters was charged by criminal complaint with Transportation of Illegal Aliens, on April 13, 2026. On April 11, a Pinal County Sheriff’s Office sergeant observed a white Dodge Durango traveling westbound on I-10 near mile marker 207 and conducted a routine registration check on the vehicle. The check showed that the vehicle’s registration was suspended, so the sergeant initiated a traffic stop. When the sergeant approached the vehicle, he observed Peters in the driver’s seat and two individuals asleep in the rear passenger seats. He also saw two camouflage backpacks and a smaller camouflage bag containing camouflage clothing on the floorboard between the front and second row seats of the vehicle. When U.S. Border Patrol agents arrived on the scene, they learned the passengers were citizens of Guatemala, unlawfully present in the United States. Agents also learned that the passengers had crossed into the United States from Mexico and had walked through the desert until they met up with Peters. [Case Number: 26-MJ-3018]

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:    2026-064_April 17, 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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