Multiple Mexican nationals indicted for federal immigration violations in the Eastern District of Texas
TYLER, Texas – Multiple Mexican nationals have been indicted for federal immigration violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.
Leonardo Chalchi, 50, was arrested on October 16, 2025, in Smith County for evading arrest. It was then determined that Chalchi is a citizen of Mexico and allegedly in the United States illegally after having been previously deported to Mexico in 2021 and 2022. This case is being investigated by the Smith County Sheriff’s Office and Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Francisco Velazquez-Castro, 46, was stopped for a traffic violation on November 14, 2025, in Smith County. It was then determined Velazquez-Castro is a citizen of Mexico and allegedly in the United States illegally after having been previously deported to Mexico in 2017 and 2022. This case is being investigated by the Smith County Sheriff’s Office and Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Pablo Hernandez Rodriguez, 41, was arrested in Smith County on November 30, 2025. It was then determined Hernandez Rodriguez is a citizen of Mexico and allegedly in the United States illegally after having been previously deported to Mexico in 2020. This case is being investigated by the Smith County Sheriff’s Office and Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Aurelio Saucedo-Alba, 57, was arrested on December 4, 2025, on a federal warrant. Immigration records indicate Saucedo-Alba is a citizen of Mexico and allegedly in the United States illegally after having been deported to Mexico in 2019. This case is being investigated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Francisco Ubaldo Acosta-Sanchez, 39, was arrested on October 16, 2025, following a traffic stop in Smith County. During the stop, law enforcement officers found alleged counterfeit Legal Permanent Resident Cards and Social Security Cards in Acosta’s vehicle with various iterations of his name appearing on them. This case is being investigated by Smith County Sheriff’s Office and Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
These cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jim Noble and part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
A federal indictment is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
