Eastern District of Texas secures 944 months in sentences from Homeland Security Task Force cases

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Texas prosecuted 35 defendants as part of Homeland Security Task Force investigations in May 2026, according to the Department of Justice announcement released June 2.

The office brought eight new Homeland Security Task Force cases while securing five convictions and five substantial sentences that total 944 months in federal prison. U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs announced the figures.

The 35 defendants represent the full scope of individuals charged or sentenced through the task force’s work that month in the Eastern District of Texas. The five sentences imposed accounted for the entire 944 months, an average of more than 15 years per sentenced defendant.

Prior to these May actions the task force had been operating without these specific eight new cases and five convictions on its monthly ledger. The new cases are now active in federal court, the convictions are final, and the 944-month sentences are in effect immediately upon imposition under standard federal sentencing procedures.

Downstream, the eight new cases enter the pretrial or trial phase in the Eastern District, requiring allocation of prosecutorial, defense, and judicial resources. The five defendants who received sentences begin serving their terms in Bureau of Prisons facilities, with potential appeals due within 14 days of judgment.

The remaining defendants among the 35 will face either plea negotiations or trial calendars that flow from the May charging activity. Additional Homeland Security Task Force cases will be announced in subsequent months as the initiative continues.

This May activity is the latest monthly enforcement update from the Eastern District’s participation in the Homeland Security Task Force, which coordinates federal, state, and local agencies on immigration, border security, and related offenses. The Department of Justice has issued similar monthly tallies in prior periods detailing new cases, convictions, and prison time imposed.