PHOENIX, Arizona — Federal authorities in Arizona have unleashed a major crackdown on illegal immigration, charging 329 people with immigration-related crimes in a single week from April 12 to April 18, 2025. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona led the charge, filing 130 cases against individuals who illegally re-entered the U.S., 179 cases for illegal entry, and 16 cases against 18 people for smuggling migrants within the state. One person was also charged for failing to register as required by law. This sweeping operation, part of the nationwide Operation Take Back America, shows the government’s hardline stance on border security, aiming to stop illegal immigration and dismantle criminal networks.
The cases paint a vivid picture of the challenges at the border. On April 13, Manuel Ivan Rodriguez-Loya was nabbed after a high-speed chase that started in New Mexico and ended in Arizona. Border Patrol agents from Lordsburg and Willcox teamed up to catch him after he refused to stop, finding eight migrants from Mexico, Guatemala, and El Salvador crammed in his vehicle. In another case, Emilio Escobar-Escalante, a known member of the Latin Kings and MS-13 gangs, was sentenced to 37 months in prison on April 15 for re-entering the U.S. after being deported seven times. Agents found him in the desert near Vamori in January 2024, and his past includes convictions for racketeering and drug trafficking.
The operation also targeted organizers. Antonio Terrell Gaither was indicted on April 15 for using Telegram and burner phones to recruit drivers to pick up migrants at the border and take them to Phoenix, profiting off each trip. Meanwhile, Felipe Alonso-Cabada, who also goes by Oscar Sanchez, was charged on April 17 for re-entering the U.S. after a heroin trafficking conviction, discovered after a local arrest in Phoenix. Eduardo Prado Flores faced charges the same day for failing to register as an alien, having lived illegally in the U.S. since 2022 after five deportations, with his latest arrest coming after a DUI stop.
This crackdown didn’t happen in a vacuum. Federal agencies like ICE, Border Patrol, the FBI, and the DEA worked together to make it happen, pooling resources to tackle what the Department of Justice calls an “invasion of illegal immigration.” Operation Take Back America, which spans border states like Arizona, Texas, and California, has charged over 1,020 people in a single week across the Southwest, targeting not just migrants but also smugglers, cartels, and violent criminals. In Arizona alone, the U.S. Attorney’s Office has been relentless, charging 261 people the previous week and over 500 earlier this year, showing a steady push to secure the border.
But the operation isn’t without critics. Some advocates argue it paints all migrants with the same brush, ignoring the desperate reasons many cross the border, like poverty or violence. Others point to cases like Escobar-Escalante, with his gang ties, as proof of the real dangers that need addressing. For now, the message from Arizona is clear: the feds are cracking down hard, and they’re not slowing down anytime soon.
Published by State Gleam
Keywords: Immigration Charges, Operation Take Back America, U.S. Attorney Arizona, Illegal Reentry, Alien Smuggling, Phoenix Crackdown, April 18
