District of Arizona Charges 318 Individuals for Immigration-Related Criminal Conduct in One Week
The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Arizona announced on October 23 that, during the week of enforcement operations from October 17 through October 23, 2026, it brought immigration-related criminal charges against 318 individuals.
By category, the United States filed 150 cases in which aliens illegally re-entered the United States, and charged 147 aliens for illegally entering the United States. In its ongoing effort to deter unlawful immigration, the United States also filed 17 cases against 21 individuals responsible for smuggling illegal aliens into and within the District of Arizona.
The 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), the 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).
Among the matters of interest highlighted in the release, Leodan Martinez was charged by criminal complaint on October 19 with transportation of an illegal alien for profit. On October 18, Border Patrol agents attempted to stop a GMC Yukon for an immigration inspection on Federal Route 19 in the Tohono O'odham Nation area after the vehicle was seen traveling south and returning north about an hour later. Martinez failed to yield and accelerated to approximately 90 to 100 mph before agents deployed an immobilization device. Martinez and his passengers, who were dressed in camouflage clothing, fled on foot and were apprehended; the passengers were determined to be citizens of Honduras and Mexico illegally present in the United States. The case number is 26-MJ-08145.
In another highlighted matter, Carlos Guadalipe Quinonez-Pillado was charged by criminal complaint on October 23 with transportation of an illegal alien. On October 21, a Border Patrol agent observed a Toyota Tacoma closely following a Cadillac XT5 northbound on Federal Route 15 and conducted a human smuggling inspection. The two adult passengers wore camouflaged clothing and protective coverings over their shoes. Agents determined that Quinonez and both passengers were citizens of Mexico illegally present in the United States, and learned that Quinonez had been paid to transport the aliens to Phoenix and had previously transported illegal aliens from the Tohono O'odham Indian Reservation to Phoenix and Las Vegas. The case number is 26-MJ-3436.
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. The release number is 2026-181.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: Phoenix 市中心 Central Court Building 法院大楼（资料图）。Tony Webster 摄，CC BY 2.0，经 Wikimedia Commons 取用 / The Central Court Building in downtown Phoenix (file photo). Photo by Tony Webster, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
