Federal prosecutors in the Southern District of California have filed 111 border-related cases this week, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The district, encompassing San Diego and Imperial counties, is the fourth-busiest federal district due to high volumes of border-related crime. It shares a 140-mile border with Mexico and includes the San Ysidro Port of Entry, the world’s busiest land border crossing. The cases include charges of bringing in aliens for financial gain, reentering the U.S. After deportation, and importation of controlled substances. In addition to reactive border-related crimes, the office prosecutes proactive cases related to terrorism, organized crime, drugs, white-collar fraud, violent crime, cybercrime, human trafficking, and national security. A sample of recent arrests includes Daniel Lopez Patino, a Mexican citizen arrested on April 7 and charged with importation of a controlled substance after 124 pounds of cocaine were found concealed in his vehicle at the Otay Mesa Port of Entry. On April 8, Jesus Obed Mejia Cortez, also a Mexican citizen, was arrested and charged with attempted bringing in aliens for financial gain as captain of a fishing vessel intercepted by U.S. Authorities. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California continues to prioritize both reactive and proactive enforcement along the U.S.-Mexico border.
44