Several Mexican nationals have been charged with federal immigration crimes in the Eastern District of Texas, according to US Attorney Jay R. Combs. Multiple arrests have occurred in Smith County, and the Smith County Sheriff’s Office and Immigration and Customs Enforcement are leading the investigations.
Leonardo Chalchi, 50, was detained on October 16, 2025, for fleeing arrest and was determined to be in the United States unlawfully following earlier deportations in 2021 and 2022. Francisco Velazquez-Castro, 46, was stopped for a driving violation on November 14, 2025, and found to be in the United States unlawfully following deportations in 2017 and 2022. Pablo Hernandez Rodriguez, 41, was detained on November 30, 2025, and charged with being in the United States unlawfully following his expulsion in 2020. Aurelio Saucedo-Alba, 57, was arrested on a federal warrant on December 4, 2025, with documents suggesting that he was deported in 2019. Francisco Ubaldo Acosta-Sanchez, 39, was detained on October 16, 2025, during a traffic stop in which claimed counterfeit documents were found.
These cases are part of Operation Take Back America, the Department of Justice’s nationwide program to target illegal immigration and transnational criminal organizations. Jim Noble, an assistant United States attorney, is prosecuting the cases. A federal indictment does not establish guilt, and all defendants are assumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
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