331 people charged in Arizona immigration sweep under Operation Take Back America
May 22, 2025 · AZ

Federal prosecutors charged 331 people in Arizona during a May 21–29 immigration enforcement operation coordinated by ICE, U.S. Border Patrol, the DEA, FBI, U.S. Marshals Service, and ATF. The charges included 163 illegal entry counts, 146 illegal re-entry cases, and 18 smuggling cases involving 22 people. Among those charged was Joel Ibarra-Lara, who was charged on May 27 with reentry after being removed from the United States in 2009 and had a prior 2001 narcotics conviction in Arizona. Mario Alberto Varela, a U.S. citizen, was charged on May 22 with transporting undocumented immigrants after a Pinal County officer stopped his vehicle on May 21 for suspended registration and found three unlawfully present passengers. The sweep was part of Operation Take Back America, a Justice Department initiative focused on immigration and smuggling prosecutions.
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