Federal prosecutors in Arizona filed immigration-related criminal charges against 279 individuals during a weeklong enforcement operation targeting illegal entry, unlawful reentry, and human smuggling along the southern border.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona, the charges were filed between October 10 and October 16, 2026, as part of ongoing federal efforts to combat illegal immigration and human smuggling throughout the state.
During the enforcement period, prosecutors filed 136 cases involving individuals accused of illegally reentering the United States after previously being removed, along with charges against 123 individuals accused of illegally entering the country.
Federal authorities also filed 17 cases against 20 individuals accused of smuggling illegal immigrants into and throughout Arizona.
The cases were referred or supported by several federal law enforcement agencies, including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the FBI, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
Among the notable cases highlighted by federal prosecutors were charges filed October 13 against Jesus Manuel Calixtro-Rodriguez and Julio Cesar Ramos-Mendez, who were accused of conspiring to transport illegal immigrants for profit.
According to the criminal complaint, Border Patrol surveillance cameras observed Calixtro-Rodriguez driving a Dodge Ram along Federal Route 15 on the Tohono O’odham Nation on October 10. Authorities reported that he stopped near a location known for human smuggling pickups, where several individuals entered the vehicle.
When Border Patrol agents attempted to conduct an immigration inspection, Calixtro-Rodriguez allegedly refused to stop, prompting agents to deploy a tire deflation device.
The vehicle’s occupants fled on foot, but agents apprehended Calixtro-Rodriguez and three passengers, including Ramos-Mendez. Authorities determined that the passengers were Mexican nationals unlawfully present in the United States.
Investigators identified Ramos-Mendez as the group’s foot guide and discovered that he had previously been removed from the country without authorization to return. He was additionally charged with illegal reentry.
In a separate case, Christopher Paul Lopez was charged on October 9 with transporting an illegal immigrant following an October 8 traffic stop along Interstate 10.
According to federal prosecutors, an Arizona Department of Public Safety trooper discovered Lopez lying in the rear of a Land Rover and subsequently recovered a loaded Glock 19 handgun from a bag inside the vehicle.
Following further questioning, authorities suspected that Lopez and the driver were involved in human smuggling. Border Patrol agents later determined that the driver was a Mexican national unlawfully present in the United States and learned that Lopez had allegedly been paid to accompany the driver from Tucson to Phoenix.
Another case involved Jose Avendano-Soto, who was charged on October 13 with transporting an illegal immigrant after Border Patrol agents observed a group crossing the U.S.-Mexico border wall using a rope ladder.
According to the criminal complaint, seven individuals exited an SUV near the border wall on October 8. Five crossed into the United States, while two remained behind to conceal the group’s footprints before returning to Mexico.
Agents later located the five individuals hiding in vegetation while wearing camouflage clothing. Four were identified as Guatemalan nationals and one as a Mexican national, all unlawfully present in the United States.
Investigators identified Avendano-Soto as the group’s foot guide, responsible for leading the individuals across the border.
The cases reflect ongoing federal efforts to prosecute illegal border crossings, unlawful reentry, and human smuggling operations throughout Arizona.
Ethan Faverino is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) chief was in Phoenix on Friday to oversee deportation flights for what the agency said were “dangerous illegal aliens.”
DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin oversaw the deportation flights headed for Mexico. Among the deportees were illegal aliens identified as pedophiles, violent assailants, drug traffickers, drunk drivers, burglars, and gang members.
DHS quoted Mullin in a press release as saying that these latest deportation flights out of Phoenix are part of this administration’s continued promise to mass deport illegal aliens.
“The American people voted for mass deportations, and that’s exactly what we’re giving them. Under President Trump’s leadership, we are removing dangerous illegals like these from our communities and from our country every single day,” said Mullin. “We will not stop until we have deported as many illegals as possible, so that we can make America safe again.”
Friday’s deportees included:
Jaime Velasquez Orozco, convicted in the past of child sexual abuse, attempted rape, domestic abuse, burglary, battery, driving under the influence, hit-and-run, and drug possession.
Jiovany Baray-Acosta, convicted in the past of driving under the influence with a minor in the car, drug possession, illegal weapon possession, and kidnapping.
Noe Ochoa Torres, convicted in the past of child abuse, sexual assault of a child, and drug possession.
Luis Antonio Vasquez Encinas, convicted in the past of attempted sexual exploitation of a minor under 15.
German Garcia-Ordonez, convicted in the past of assault and battery in the presence of a minor.
Filiberto Preciado-Gamboa, a gang member convicted in the past of domestic abuse, drug possession, and shoplifting.
Jose Cruz Estrada, convicted in the past of domestic abuse, terroristic threats, driving while intoxicated, and evading arrest.
Rolando Carbajal Villegas, convicted in the past of driving while intoxicated and assault.
Octavio Felipe-Olivera, convicted in the past of driving under the influence and disturbing the peace.
DHS reported last December that more than 2.5 million illegal aliens have left the country since Trump took office in January of last year. Of those exits, more than 600,000 were reportedly formal deportations and approximately 1.9 million were voluntary self-deportations.
Approximately 10 million illegal aliens reside within the country.
DHS and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) also announced on Friday that the preliminary data for this fiscal year indicate a 95% drop in southwest border apprehensions compared to the last administration, along with what they allege to be the “lowest annual encounters in American history and the first-ever fiscal year with zero Border Patrol releases.”
According to CBP, encounters of illegal aliens along the southwest border have dropped from an average 177,000 encounters per month during the final year of President Joe Biden’s administration to about 11,000 encounters per month under President Donald Trump.
In CBP’s 2026 fiscal year — which runs from October 2025 through September 2026 — there have been just over 128,000 encounters. Under Trump’s first month in office, monthly encounters dropped by about 20%.
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Members of the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors are publicly airing their grievances against Recorder Justin Heap for notifying federal authorities about election work that took place late one night last week.
Heap’s office immediately contacted the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) after learning about a viral post about ballot tabulation center livestream footage in which two county employees were seen working alone after-hours in the facility from about 9 to 11 p.m. on October 7.
In the footage, the employees can be seen inserting flash drives into computers.
🚨BUSTED: Exclusive Video of Maricopa County BOS employees (toddler in tow) in highly secure Ballot Tabulation Center at 10:30pm inserting flash drives into computers (Post L&A) during an active election obtained by our source! Additional video obtained shows 3 hours of activity… pic.twitter.com/EqoOzQR9TY
— We the People USA Alliance (@WethePeopleAZA1) October 9, 2026
The FBI confirmed it investigated Heap’s complaint and found no evidence of wrongdoing.
A week later, on Wednesday, Board Chair Kate Brophy McGee and Vice Chair Debbie Lesko responded to the viral footage with a joint statement denying that the election workers had performed unauthorized work, and said that it wasn’t unusual for employees to work outside traditional business hours in the weeks preceding and following an election.
McGee and Lesko explained that the employees updated software on the ballot duplication system and uploaded election data files to a computer terminal not connected to the internet or ballot tabulation equipment.
After issuing that statement, Brophy McGee spoke with media outlets to criticize Heap for contacting federal authorities.
“Public employees who work in elections already face public threats and intimidation, but it is disgusting that Recorder Heap and his team would add to this climate of fear by referring to the FBI our hardworking county employees who were simply doing their jobs,” said Brophy McGee.
Judy Keane, Heap’s spokeswoman, said the recorder has a duty to request an investigation into any suspicious activity involving elections.
“Suspicious activity occurring within logic and accuracy tested facilities late at night should always be investigated by those with the power to do so. Any notion that it shouldn’t is irresponsible and fails to maintain the highest of standards for Arizona elections,” said Keane.
Supervisor Thomas Galvin called Heap “inept” for notifying authorities of his concerns, and accused him of being a “puppet” of Shelby Busch, the local grassroots activist with We the People AZ who contacted Heap’s office with concerns about the livestream footage. Lesko accused the recorder’s office of attacking “innocent election workers.” Galvin also implied there would be repercussions for those who assisted Heap with contacting the FBI.
“Heap worked w[ith] bad grifting hombres to target one of the BOS’ employees. If any other public official enabled Heap’s latest circus act then there’s Hell to pay,” said Galvin.
Sam Stone, Heap’s chief of staff, later posted on X to reveal that he called the FBI and the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office about the after-hours work. Stone said that it was important for public trust in elections to seek an assessment from an official third party, rather than insisting the public rely on the county’s word.
“Did I think anything nefarious was at play in this situation? No,” said Stone. “[But] when questions about potentially fraudulent activity in an election come to light the proper reaction is not for the organization at hand to clear themselves, but to bring in an appropriate outside investigative agency to do it.”
Galvin called Stone “one of the amoral amoebas” within Heap’s office and accused him of “spinning [his] latest stunt.” Stone, in return, accused Galvin of lying.
“[Y]our ‘proof’ there was no wrongdoing in this case is the word of the same team that created the controversy,” said Stone. “You are a crap lawyer, a liar, and unfit for public office.”
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Federal interest payments could consume more than half of federal tax revenue by 2036, as rising borrowing costs and mounting national debt threaten the nation’s long-term fiscal stability, according to a new report from Congress’ Joint Economic Committee (JEC).
The report, titled Federal Interest Spending Could Now Exceed Half of Available Tax Receipts in Ten Years, warns that higher interest rates could significantly increase the federal government’s debt-servicing costs, placing additional pressure on the federal budget over the next decade.
According to the JEC, net interest payments could account for 55.4% of federal receipts excluding payroll taxes by 2036 under a higher-interest-rate scenario, compared to 38.1% under the Congressional Budget Office’s (CBO) baseline projections.
The findings come as the national debt has surpassed $40 trillion, with approximately $32.4 trillion held by the public at the end of fiscal year 2026.
Interest payments could consume 55 percent of federal receipts excluding payroll taxes by 2036.Under CBO's higher-rate scenario, net interest spending would reach 55.4 percent of available tax receipts by 2036, compared with 38.1 percent under CBO's baseline projection. Even…
— Joint Economic Committee Republicans (@JECRepublicans) October 15, 2026
“We are rapidly approaching a fiscal reality where more than half of federal receipts outside of payroll taxes could go toward servicing our debt by 2036,” stated JEC Chairman and Arizona Congressman David Schweikert (R-AZ-01).
“Under this higher interest rate scenario, we could spend $23 trillion on interest alone over the next decade. That is spending not on Social Security, not on Medicare, not on national defense, but simply paying for yesterday’s borrowing,” Schweikert added.
According to the JEC, the yield on 10-year Treasury notes increased from approximately 4.2% in February to 5.2% on October 1, 2026. The increase reflects higher federal borrowing costs, raising concerns that interest rates could remain above earlier projections and place additional pressure on the federal budget.
The report draws on a recent CBO analysis examining how higher interest rates could affect federal deficits, debt, and borrowing costs between 2026 and 2036.
Under a scenario in which interest rates remain 1.5 percentage points above the CBO’s February 2026 baseline projections, cumulative federal deficits would increase by approximately $6 trillion over the next decade.
Even under a less severe scenario in which interest rates remain 0.5 percentage points above the CBO’s baseline projections, cumulative federal deficits would increase by approximately $1.9 trillion through 2036, highlighting the federal government’s growing sensitivity to borrowing costs.
Of the projected $6 trillion increase under the higher-rate scenario, approximately $4.9 trillion would result directly from higher interest costs, while an additional $1.1 trillion would come from borrowing needed to finance those increased payments.
The JEC estimates that total net interest spending could reach $23.2 trillion through 2036 under the higher-rate scenario, compared to approximately $17.2 trillion under the CBO’s baseline projections.
The report also highlights the federal government’s exposure to rising borrowing costs as existing debt matures. Approximately $10 trillion in marketable Treasury debt is expected to mature within the next year, potentially requiring refinancing at higher interest rates.
Under the higher-rate scenario, annual federal interest spending would grow by an average of 10.8% over the next decade, significantly exceeding projected annual economic growth of 3.9%.
“When interest costs are growing nearly three times faster than the economy, the math becomes impossible to ignore,” stated Schweikert. “Every dollar we borrow makes us more vulnerable to higher interest rates and leaves fewer resources for everything else. We are approaching a debt spiral that could become mathematically impossible to escape and the window to avert a full-blown fiscal crisis is rapidly closing.”
The CBO further estimates that debt held by the public could reach 133.1% of gross domestic product (GDP) by 2036 under the higher-rate scenario, compared to 120.2% under its baseline projections.
The JEC warned that without significant reductions in federal spending, rising interest obligations could leave Congress facing increasingly difficult decisions involving higher taxes, reduced government spending, or additional borrowing to meet existing financial obligations.
Ethan Faverino is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
A federal court sentenced a Phoenix man previously convicted of a felony to 10 years in prison for stealing nearly $2.2 million in COVID-19 relief funding.
Mohammed Maio, 44, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire and bank fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, bank fraud, and felon in possession of a firearm.
Between May 2020 and May 2024, Maio fraudulently obtained and misused loans from the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) relief loans, claiming the relief funds for multiple businesses without employees.
Maio’s mother, Souzan El-Sayed, and father, Abukar Maio, were also convicted for participating in the COVID fraud scheme. The trio submitted 18 PPP and EIDL applications.
Maio’s mother was associated with Magna Detail, Global Connection Plus, GEGE LLC, Reign Transportation, AFGOYE LLC, and Arcadia Adult Home Care. Maio’s father was associated with Magna Detail, Arcadia Adult Home Care, AFGOYE LLC, and Reign Transportation.
Maio associated himself with the following businesses: Magna Detail, AZ Jumpstart, AZMBK, Apyulent, MMM Consulting, and Reign Transportation.
Court documents reflect that the Maio family used the fraudulently obtained funds to purchase properties.
Maio also arranged for his mother to purchase a firearm for him in 2021, since he was a convicted felon who couldn’t purchase it for himself.
Arizona Department of Corrections records reflect that Maio served two years in prison from June 2016 to August 2018 for drug and fraud violations, and served six months in 2006 for drug and attempted weapons misconduct violations. During his two prison stints, Maio received three major infractions for threats or intimidation, fighting, and unauthorized conduct.
U.S. Attorney Timothy Courchaine said in the press release announcing Maio’s conviction that Maio exploited a system meant to provide relief to legitimate business owners during an unprecedented public health emergency.
“Maio’s actions resulted in significant financial loss to the U.S. government and exploited a program intended to provide relief to small businesses during a national crisis,” said Courchaine. “Fraud of this nature weakens the effectiveness of federal assistance programs and places an additional burden on taxpayers who ultimately bear the cost of these crimes.”
Scott Brown, acting special agent in charge of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) CI Phoenix Field Office, said his agency is committed to finding each and every individual who defrauded the COVID-19 relief programs.
“While business owners and families were struggling during the COVID pandemic, Maio was scheming to defraud the government relief programs for personal gain,” said Brown. “This case demonstrates IRS CI’s ongoing commitment to pursuing individuals who abused these pandemic relief programs and ensuring they are held accountable.”
A.J. Gibes, special agent in charge for the ATF Phoenix Field Division, pointed out that Maio decided to take violent measures to continue his fraud scheme.
“This significant sentence is part of a multi-agency effort to hold those who took advantage of COVID-era programs accountable,” said Gibes. “Not only did Mr. Maio commit fraud against the United States government, he illegally armed himself to protect his multi-million-dollar scheme. We are proud to work with our IRS partners to bring those who would defraud the American people to justice.”
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Republican attorney general nominee and Arizona Senate President Warren Petersen is targeting Democratic incumbent Kris Mayes’ utility-regulation record in a new campaign advertisement, contrasting her votes on the Arizona Corporation Commission with his support for tax reductions in the Legislature.
The ad accuses Mayes of voting to increase utility rates six times and attributes higher gas, water, and electricity costs to her decisions.
“I’m Senate President Warren Petersen. I helped pass one of the largest tax cuts in state history, eliminating tax on tips, rent, and overtime,” Petersen says. “But my opponent voted to raise your utility rates six times.”
Petersen’s campaign also criticized Mayes’ role in establishing renewable energy surcharges during her tenure on the Arizona Corporation Commission. The commission adopted the Renewable Energy Standard and Tariff (REST) rules in November 2006, establishing renewable energy requirements and procedures for utilities to recover program costs through customer surcharges. The rules became effective in August 2007.
Mayes’ office has described her as instrumental in adopting the rules. She has defended the renewable energy standards, arguing that repealing them would threaten electricity affordability and reliability.
The commission reported in March 2026 that APS, Tucson Electric Power, and UNS Electric had collected more than $2.3 billion in REST surcharges from customers. That figure measures collections under the program and does not establish its net economic impact after accounting for benefits or avoided costs.
“While we’ve fought to make life more affordable for hardworking Arizona families, Mayes has supported higher utility rates that squeeze household budgets and punish the very people she was elected to protect,” Petersen said.
Petersen’s tax message references changes enacted at different times. The Arizona Department of Revenue states that cities stopped collecting transaction privilege tax on residential rentals beginning January 1, 2025. The change applies specifically to municipal taxes on residential rentals.
In June 2026, Gov. Katie Hobbs signed the fiscal year 2027 budget after vetoing nearly all bills sent to her desk from April 13 until May 14, including a proposed Republican budget containing over $1 billion in tax relief. The package, spearheaded by Repbulican lawmakers, incorporated full conformity with the tax cuts of the One, Big, Beautiful Bill Act and included $1.4 billion in tax cuts, with relief involving tips and overtime, a higher standard deduction, and an additional deduction for seniors.
The advertisement follows another dispute between the candidates over Mayes’ past statements about utility pricing.
Petersen recently criticized a resurfaced 2009 Arizona PBS interview in which Mayes, then chair of the Corporation Commission, discussed higher water prices as a means of reducing consumption and the energy required to pump water.
The discussion also included Mayes calling for utilities to provide conservation tools and participate in a statewide conversation about resource use. The interview did not identify a particular rate increase she approved.
Petersen’s new release also criticizes Mayes for challenging utility costs as attorney general after supporting increases during her commission service.
Petersen said affordability would remain a priority if he wins the attorney general’s office.
“As Attorney General, I will fight from day one to protect Arizona families, challenge policies that drive up costs, and help restore the financial breathing room Arizonans desperately need and deserve,” he said.
