Multiple immigration-related arrests made in El Paso, Las Cruces

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- Federal prosecutors in western Texas and southern New Mexico announced the arrest of multiple people accused of breaking immigration and other federal laws.

Migrants arrested for entering Texas National Defense Area

Officials arrested Mexican nationals Juan Jose Medrano-Escobedo and Rosendo Dominguez-Morales for allegedly illegally entering the Texas National Defense Area near the Paso Del Norte Port of Entry.

This was not the pair's first time in the U.S., officials say. Federal prosecutors say Medrano-Escobedo has been removed from the country twice before, most recently in July 2024. He has previously been convicted of three felonies, including evading arrest in 2017 and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon in November 2023, prosecutors say.

Dominguez-Morales was last removed in August 2024 after a felony conviction for assault. He and Medrano-Escobedo are charged with two counts of violating defense property and one count count of illegal re-entry.

Fabens crash leads to arrest of alleged smugglers

In separate cases this week, officials arrested Jared Isai Ramirez and Jesus Alberto Soriano as they tried to drive away from Border Patrol in Fabens.

Court documents state that Ramirez lost control and hit a rock wall. He and his four passengers then got out and tried to run away, according to federal prosecutors.

Agents then arrested Ramirez and picked up the passengers, all migrants, according to prosecutors. Soriano was driving in a separate car at the time and was arrested after he stopped.

Prosecutors say Ramirez would be paid $300 per passenger. Soriano was implicated as a look out for the smuggling scheme, federal prosecutors say.

Mexican man arrested as part of Operation Take Back America

Officials in Las Cruces arrested Mexican national Salvador Ruacho Aguirre during a traffic stop on Tuesday, May 13, 2025.

When officers searched his car, they found a .45 caliber handgun loaded with a magazine, as well as a 12-guage shotgun with ammunition.

FBI agents then got a search warrant and found five more guns in Aguirre's house.

Federal prosecutors call this a significant case that is part of the Justice Department's Operation Take Back America.

High-speed chase leads to human smuggling arrest

Prosecutors in New Mexico say that Aaron Christopher Montez sped away from a U.S. Border Patrol checkpoint on New Mexico State Highway 185, reaching top speeds of 70 mph in a 45-mph zone. This happened on Sunday, May 11, 2025.

Officials say that Montez stopped to drop off an undocumented migrant during the chase.

Officials apprehended Montez and charged him with human smuggling. Prosecutors say he admitted to transporting a person in the trunk of his car.

Prosecutors say this case is also part of Operation Take Back America.