The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California, the fourth busiest federal district in the nation, has filed 75 border-related criminal cases this week, underscoring the high volume of enforcement activity along the 140-mile frontier shared with Mexico. The district, which encompasses San Diego and Imperial counties, includes the San Ysidro Port of Entry, the world’s busiest land border crossing.
Among the week’s most notable arrests, two cases stand out:
On June 9, U.S. citizen Víctor Manuel García-Ramírez was taken into custody at San Ysidro after allegedly attempting to smuggle two undocumented Chinese nationals hidden inside a concealed compartment beneath the chassis of a Nissan Armada SUV. He now faces charges of bringing aliens into the country for financial gain.
That same day, Mexican national Carlos Núñez-Valdivia was arrested at the Otay Mesa Port of Entry on charges of attempted re-entry following prior deportation. Court records show that Núñez-Valdivia falsely claimed to be a lawful permanent resident during his crossing attempt, and that he has been formally removed from the United States on at least three previous occasions.
Authorities also announced the arrest of U.S. citizen Ana Sánchez at the San Ysidro port of entry. A vehicle inspection uncovered a significant narcotics haul concealed within the seats and body panels of her car, including 31 pounds of fentanyl and an additional 21 pounds of an undisclosed controlled substance. Sánchez was previously convicted on drug-trafficking charges in 2018.
