A lawful permanent resident accused of trying to smuggle undocumented migrants into the United States through the San Ysidro Port of Entry has been formally charged by federal prosecutors in Southern California.
The case is among 88 border-related cases filed this week by federal authorities. Prosecutors said the filings include cases involving migrant smuggling, illegal reentry after deportation, firearms possession, and drug trafficking.
The migrant smuggling case stems from a Jan. 11 arrest at San Ysidro. According to court records, Erick Alexander Becerra-Rocha, a permanent U.S. resident, was stopped by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers, who found two undocumented Mexican nationals concealed inside his vehicle.
Federal prosecutors also outlined several other cases from the same week.
On Jan. 11, Juan Vizcarra, a U.S. citizen, was arrested at the Otay Mesa Port of Entry and charged with illegal firearm possession. Authorities said officers noticed Vizcarra had slurred speech and drooping eyes and observed bottles of beer and Fireball whiskey inside his vehicle.
After sending him to secondary inspection, agents found a 9 mm Beretta semiautomatic handgun, along with a magazine and three rounds of ammunition, in the vehicle’s center console. A background check showed Vizcarra has prior convictions for crimes including trespassing, vehicle theft, and first-degree robbery.
In a separate case, Alonso Márquez Arreola, a Mexican national, was arrested on Jan. 9 and charged with attempting to reenter the United States after deportation. Prosecutors said Márquez Arreola presented fraudulent documents while attempting to cross through the pedestrian lanes at San Ysidro. Records show he was last removed from the U.S. on Nov. 11, 2025, through Atlanta, Georgia.
Another arrest occurred on Jan. 12, when Ernesto Carrillo Jr., a U.S. citizen, was charged with importing a controlled substance. CBP agents discovered 60 packages containing about 27 kilograms, roughly 60 pounds, of methamphetamine hidden inside the vehicle’s gas tank.
All of the cases are being handled or supported by federal law enforcement agencies, according to prosecutors.
