The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas announced that federal prosecutors filed 192 new immigration and immigration-related criminal cases last week, including charges against individuals with violent crime convictions and prior deportations.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, these cases were filed in January, targeting human smugglers and illegal aliens with past convictions for violent crimes, driving while intoxicated (DWIs), and multiple prior removals. In Pflugerville, Mexican national Edgar Martinez Rivera was charged with illegal re-entry after being arrested for allegedly possessing a fraudulent passport during a traffic stop by Pflugerville Police, who then notified Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Martinez Rivera has previous convictions for two DWIs, burglary of a building, theft, and two prior removals, the most recent being to Mexico on January 10, 2025.
The office further said that it prosecuted 11,542 border security cases and defended 652 civil immigration cases in 2025. These efforts focus on immigration violations and related offenses as part of enhanced enforcement in the region.
Data from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement shows that the detainee population reached a record high of 73,000 in January 2026, an increase of 84% from early 2025. Approximately 47% of these detainees had criminal charges or convictions in the United States. This growth includes single adults and family units facing deportation for immigration violations.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas serves over seven million residents in areas including San Antonio, Austin, and El Paso. It enforces federal laws, defends U.S. interests, provides leadership in crime prevention and control, and seeks just punishment for offenders through its various divisions and programs.