United States Drug Enforcement Administration

PHOENIX, Ariz. – During the week of enforcement operations from Sep. 19 through Sep. 25, 2026, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona brought immigration-related criminal charges against 379 individuals. Specifically, the United States filed 155 cases in which aliens illegally re-entered the United States, and the United States also charged 191 aliens for illegally entering the United States. In its ongoing effort to deter unlawful immigration, the United States filed 28 cases against 32 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 (BPA).

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. Gilda Sabas Martinez. On Sep. 23, 2026, Gilda Martinez, a United States citizen, was charged by criminal complaint with one count of Transportation of an Illegal Alien. On Sep. 22, 2026, a Pinal County Sheriff Deputy conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle that Martinez was driving. In addition to Martinez, the Deputy observed one minor passenger. The Deputy observed indicators of alien smuggling during the stop and contacted Border Patrol to investigate further. BPAs arrived and determined that the minor passenger was a Mexican citizen unlawfully present in the United States. [Case Number: 26-MJ-3363]

United States v. Percy Anthony Kisto. On Sep. 23, 2026, Percy Kisto, a United States citizen, was charged by criminal complaint with one count of Transportation of an Illegal Alien and one count of Felon in Possession of a Firearm. On Sep. 22, 2026, BPAs assigned to a checkpoint on State Route 85 observed a GMC Acadia make a U-turn as it was approaching the checkpoint. BPAs conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle and located the driver, Kisto, and four passengers inside. Three of the passengers, including a minor, were determined to be citizens of Mexico unlawfully present in the United States. BPAs searched Kisto’s backpack and recovered a firearm. Kisto was prohibited from possessing the firearm as he has a 2015 conviction for Transportation of an Illegal Alien, a felony offense. [Case Number: 26-MJ-3364]

United States v. Ivan Rojas-Menera. On Sep. 22, 2026, Ivan Rojas-Menera was charged by criminal complaint with Reentry of a Removed Alien. Chavez-Flores had been previously removed from the United States in April 2019 after being convicted of Conspiracy to Transport a Dangerous Drug for Sale, a felony offense, in the Superior Court of Arizona, Maricopa County.  Rojas-Menera was sentenced to 4 years and 9 months in prison in that case.  [Case Number: 26-MJ-3346]

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:    2026-166_September 25, 2026 Immigration Enforcement