U.S. Attorney’s Office Charges Over 215 Individuals for Immigration-Related Criminal Conduct in Arizona This Week

PHOENIX, Ariz. – During this week of enforcement operations from March 15, 2025, through March 21, 2025, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona has brought immigration-related criminal charges against 217 defendants. Specifically, the United States filed 91 cases in which aliens illegally re-entered the United States, and the United States also charged 103 aliens for illegally entering the United States.  In its ongoing effort to deter unlawful immigration, the United States also filed 15 cases against 23 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. Juan Antonio Ruiz: On March 18, 2025, Juan Antonio Ruiz, a native and citizen of Mexico and lawful permanent resident of the United States, was indicted for violation of Title 18 U.S.C. § 1425(a), Naturalization Fraud. According to the Indictment, in 2015, in his Application for Naturalization, naturalization interview, and Notice of Naturalization Oath Ceremony he provided false statements under oath indicating that he had never committed a crime for which he had not been arrested. In January 2021, Ruiz pleaded guilty to the crimes of Sexual Conduct with a Minor Under Fifteen (from January 2004 through January 2008) and Attempted Molestation of a Child (from September 2003 through September 2006) in the Superior Court of Arizona, Pima County. He was arrested for the crimes in May 2018. Case number CR-25-01502-TUC-AMM.

United States v. Jose Alejandro Medrano-Renteria: Medrano-Renteria was arrested and charged by complaint with Transportation of Illegal Aliens for Profit. United States Border Patrol agents attempted a vehicle stop, but Medrano-Renteria failed to yield, and a vehicle immobilization device had to be deployed. The vehicle lost a tire, but the defendant continued to drive until all occupants bailed from the vehicle. With the assistance of a K9, Border Patrol agents located four illegal aliens who had been in the defendant's vehicle. The defendant was located hiding in a tree on a nearby property. He admitted he was being paid $1,000 per alien he smuggled. Case number 25-MJ-01687-MAA.

United States v. Tracy Ann Cook; Alex Puella; Yesenia Monique Ortiz: Tracy Ann Cook, Alex Puella, and Yesenia Monique Ortiz were arrested and charged by complaint with Conspiracy to Transport Illegal Aliens for Profit. Tohono O'odham Police Officers stopped the vehicle driven by Cook for a traffic violation. Puella and Ortiz were passengers in the vehicle. Officers located three additional people laying down in the vehicle. When United States Border Patrol agents arrived on scene, the additional three people were determined to be illegal aliens. One of the illegal aliens was determined to be a citizen of Uzbekistan. Case number 25-MJ-01704-MAA.

A criminal complaint and criminal indictment are simply methods by which a person is charged with criminal activity and raises no inference of guilt.  An individual is presumed innocent until evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

CASE NUMBERS:         CR-25-01502-TUC-AMM
                                      25-MJ-01687-MAA
                                      25-MJ-01704-MAA

RELEASE NUMBER:    2025-040_March 21 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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