Federal prosecutors in the Southern District of California filed 126 border-related cases this week. The charges included bringing in undocumented immigrants for financial gain, reentering the United States after deportation, and importing controlled substances.
The Southern District of California is one of the busiest federal districts in the country, largely due to its location along a 140-mile stretch of the U.S.-Mexico border that includes San Diego and Imperial counties. This area contains the San Ysidro Port of Entry, which is recognized as the world’s busiest land border crossing and connects San Diego with Tijuana.
In addition to handling crimes directly related to the border, prosecutors in this district also address other significant criminal matters such as terrorism, organized crime, drug offenses, white-collar fraud, violent crime, cybercrime, human trafficking, and national security cases.
This week’s arrests included several notable incidents:
On February 27, Ulises Gallardo was arrested and charged with bringing in aliens for financial gain. According to a complaint filed by authorities, when Gallardo attempted to enter the United States at the San Ysidro Port of Entry in his vehicle, Customs and Border Protection officers discovered a human foot sticking out of his gas tank. Further inspection revealed a woman lying inside a non-factory compartment within the gas tank who appeared disoriented and suffered from chemical burns. She later told officers she had been trapped inside for about 90 minutes.
Also on February 27, Jose Angel Vidal Ayala was arrested near Otay Mesa Port of Entry. He faces charges of attempted entry after deportation following his previous removal through Calexico.
On March 3, Benny Jesus Niz Ledezma was arrested at San Ysidro Port of Entry. Officers found seven packages containing approximately 19 pounds of cocaine hidden behind his vehicle’s radio panel.
These immigration-related cases were referred or supported by agencies including Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE ERO), Customs and Border Protection (CBP), U.S. Border Patrol, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), as well as state and local law enforcement partners.
“Indictments and criminal complaints are merely allegations and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.”
