Manuel Alejandro Melendez-Cereceres, a 42-year-old migrant from Mexico, was sentenced to 110 months in federal prison for conspiracy to transport migrants resulting in serious bodily injury. He coordinated drivers and vehicles for a human smuggling organization.
Where
El Paso, Texas
When
June 11, 2026 (guilty plea); sentencing date not stated
These outlets were found through Google News headlines. Google decides which outlets appear there, and they lean mostly one way, so this sheet can only be as balanced as the reporting it was built from. Leanings are AllSides Media Bias Ratings.
Dr. Jennifer Shuford, CDC deputy director and chief medical officer who previously led the Texas Department of State Health Services, announced her resignation after about six months in the federal role. Her last day is November 12.
Dr. Jennifer Shuford, CDC deputy director and chief medical officer; Dr. Erica Schwartz, CDC Director; Satish Pillai, Acting deputy director and chief medical officer
The U.S. Supreme Court declined to block an agreement between the Trump administration and Texas that bars immigration judges from using administrative closure to temporarily postpone deportation cases. Three cities and an immigrant legal advocacy group had sought emergency intervention.
U.S. Supreme Court, Issued brief order declining emergency request; Trump administration, Signed agreement with Texas to ban administrative closure; Texas, Sued to challenge immigration court procedure; agreed with administration and 5 more
Dr. Javaria Jabeen and Allendor Kenyon Brown were charged with conspiracy to commit health care fraud in a scheme that allegedly targeted the Federal Employees' Compensation Act program from 2017 to 2023. They allegedly submitted fraudulent medical claims totaling roughly $19 million, resulting in at least $17 million in payments.
$approximately $19 million for fraudulent medical claims submitted
Dr. Javaria Jabeen, Physician charged with conspiracy to commit health care fraud; Allendor Kenyon Brown, Retired U.S. Postal Service employee and former union official charged with conspiracy to commit health care fraud; Demitrious Gilmore, Chiropractor who owned clinics and allegedly participated in the scheme and 2 more
Rep. Michael Cloud (R-TX-27) introduced H.R. 10908, a bill to implement Universal Savings Accounts and expand transparency, competition, and patient rights in health care. The bill was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce and the Committee on Ways and Means.
Federal prosecutors charged 13 people in an investigation called Operation Southbound Takedown into an alleged scheme to transport stolen vehicles from across the United States to El Paso and across the border to Mexican criminal organizations. Authorities recovered 29 vehicles valued at approximately $1.137 million.
$$1,137,000 for stolen vehicles recovered, valued at approximately
Kimberly Aguilar, defendant, U.S. citizen; Marty Gerardo Jr., defendant, U.S. citizen; David Monarrez, defendant, U.S. citizen and 12 more
Sean Alexander Meeks, 49, of Lake Charles, Louisiana, was sentenced to 400 months (33 years, 4 months) in federal prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute child pornography. Montgomery County, Texas sheriff's investigators identified Meeks as administrator of an online messaging group where illegal child sexual content was exchanged.
$Not stated for Meeks case for restitution
Sean Alexander Meeks, defendant sentenced; U.S. District Judge James D. Cain Jr., judge who handed down sentence; Montgomery County Sheriff's Office, investigators who identified Meeks and 1 more
A 50-year-old North Texas woman was indicted on 10 federal charges for allegedly fraudulently obtaining over $680,000 in pandemic relief loans and using part of the funds to finance a home construction project in Cedar Hill.
$$680,000 for COVID fraud scheme total
April Watson, defendant charged with 10 counts of wire fraud, bank fraud, and money laundering; Ryan Raybould, U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Texas; Christopher J. Altemus Jr., Special Agent in Charge of the IRS Criminal Investigation Texas Field Office and 1 more
Immigration and Customs Enforcement deported Moussa Diawara, a Texas resident, to Ghana on July 31 as part of a third-country deportation program. Ghanaian officials subsequently sent him to Mali. A U.S. immigration judge had ruled in 2012 that Diawara could not be deported to Mali because he would likely face persecution there.
Moussa Diawara, Texas resident deported by ICE; Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), agency that deported Diawara; Department of Homeland Security (DHS), issued deportation paperwork and 2 more