Federal prosecutors in Miami have rolled out their new border-crimes unit with a splash, announcing a sweep of immigration-related charges against nine people nabbed across South Florida land and waters. The cases, handled by the recently created Border and Immigration Crimes Enforcement (BICE) section, range from alleged unlawful reentry to a Honduran man accused of illegally possessing a gun after being intercepted in the Florida Keys. Prosecutors say some defendants face sharply higher potential sentences because of prior convictions.
Federal Grand Jury Hands Down Charges
According to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Florida, a federal grand jury and separate charging documents name 24-year-old Lazaro Gaddiel Flores-Arita of Honduras, who was arrested on Jan. 20 in Monroe County and is charged with possessing a firearm and ammunition as an unlawful alien. The same release says 28-year-old Medinel Joseph of Haiti was separately charged with attempted illegal entry after coming ashore in Miami-Dade County, while the remaining cases focus on alleged unlawful reentry after prior deportations. Prosecutors have assigned the matters to BICE attorneys and say the potential penalties depend heavily on each defendant’s record.
Who Faces the Highest Penalties
As reported by the Tampa Free Press, the sweep includes several defendants with histories of prior removals. The outlet notes that Juan Carlos Rafael Avila has been deported multiple times and, along with Sandro Boror-Rivera, could face up to 20 years in prison if prosecutors prove earlier aggravated convictions. Another defendant, Rafael Corona-Mendez, who was found in December 2025, faces as much as 10 years due to prior convictions, while standard unlawful-reentry counts typically carry a maximum of two years. The report also lays out ages and removal timelines for the group, underscoring the range of alleged conduct behind the new filings.
BICE’s Role and Enforcement Push
As outlined by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Florida, the Border and Immigration Crimes Enforcement section was created in November 2025 to pull together narcotics, immigration, fraud and violent-crime expertise into one team focused on border-driven threats. Since its inception, BICE has brought more than 40 illegal-reentry cases, and the investigations have drawn on agencies that include ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations, Homeland Security Investigations, Customs and Border Protection, the U.S. Coast Guard, the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office and the Florida Highway Patrol. Prosecutors say the latest nine cases fit into a broader pattern of maritime and land interdictions across South Florida…