Federal prosecutors in Arizona closed out 2025 and began the new year with a substantial increase in immigration enforcement, pressing criminal charges against 135 people in just seven days.
From December 27 to January 2, the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona handled dozens of cases involving illegal immigration and human smuggling. The breakdown of the charges shows a strong emphasis on repeat offenders. Of the 135 charged, 75 were prosecuted for illegally reentering the United States, while 52 were charged with illegal entrance.
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In addition to those crossing the border, federal officials targeted the networks that enabled the flow. Eight people were charged with smuggling migrants into and through the District of Arizona.
The enforcement wave was based on a large joint effort by federal law enforcement. The United States Border Patrol, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the FBI, the DEA, and the United States Marshals Service all provided referrals and support.
Among the new cases is one that demonstrates the exact strategies employed to avoid detection in a desert environment.
On December 29, prosecutors charged Nolberto Erasmo Bojorquez-Chaparro with transporting an illegal alien. The investigation began when air support units discovered footprints and communicated coordinates to ground operatives. A Border Patrol agent followed the path south and eventually discovered five people hiding in the bushes.
According to the complaint, the gang was attempting to blend into the terrain by dressing in camouflage and wearing “carpet booties”—footwear frequently employed by smugglers to conceal footprints in the sand. Investigators discovered that the five persons were Mexican citizens and identified Bojorquez-Chaparro as the guide who led them through the desert.
Felony Re-entry
Authorities in Arizona also noted incidents involving people with prior criminal convictions. On January 1, 2026, Omar Luna-Silva was charged with reentry of a deported immigrant.
Court documents show Luna-Silva was deported in May 2013. His dismissal followed a felony conviction in Maricopa County Superior Court for possession of hazardous substances for sale, for which he served three years on probation.
Both cases are still pending in Phoenix.
