Southern District of Texas
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Texas man sent to prison for 30 years after soliciting sexually explicit images of minors in foreign countryRead the Press Release
GALVESTON, Texas - A 47-year-old League City man has been ordered to federal prison for production, receipt and possession of child pornography, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.
Jeffrey Scott Lacy pleaded guilty Feb. 10.
U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Vincent Brown has now sentenced Lacy to 360 months to be immediately followed by six years of supervised release. During that time, he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the internet. Lacy will also be ordered to register as a sex offender.
From 2017 to 2023, Lacy used an online platform to solicit and purchase explicit livestream videos of children as young as four from individuals in the Philippines.
The investigation revealed Lacy would negotiate prices for these videos.
A search warrant at Lacy’s residence resulted in the seizure of his cell phone and laptop. Forensic examination ultimately uncovered 20 images depicting child sexual abuse material and multiple messages with an individual in the Philippines who had access to a minor victim.
Further investigation revealed messages in which Lacy discussed providing a phone in exchange for images and videos of CSAM. He also requested sexual activity via video calls and expressed interest in traveling in order to have sex with the minor. Lacy repeatedly requested additional explicit images of the victim, including while she was bathing.
Lacy has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Homeland Security Investigations-Galveston, Pearland Police Department, League City Police Department and Houston Metro Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force conducted the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly Ann Leo prosecuted the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page. For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources tab on that page.
MS-13 members sentenced to decades in federal prison for brutal murders committed at direction of gang leaders in El SalvadorRead the Press Release
GALVESTON, Texas – Eight illegal aliens and members of the violent transnational criminal organization Mara Salvatrucha, commonly known as MS-13, have been sentenced for participating in a racketeering conspiracy that included witness tampering and multiple murders of individuals as young as 14.
U.S. District Judge Jeffrey V. Brown has now imposed a 50-year term of imprisonment for Edgardo Martinez-Rodriguez aka Largo, 35, while Wilman Rivas-Guido aka Inquieto, 30, received 45 years. At the hearing, the court heard how Martinez-Rodriguez was a high-ranking leader in the conspiracy and initiated numerous murders. In handing down the prison terms, Judge Brown noted the violent nature of the crimes committed.
Six others were previously sentenced. Miguel Angel Aguilar-Ochoa aka Darki, 40, Wilson Jose Ventura-Mejia aka Discreto, 30, and Walter Chicas-Garcia, 28, each received 50-year sentences. Marlon Miranda Moran, 26, was ordered to serve 35 years, while Luis Ernesto Carbajal-Peraza, 34, and Carlos Garcia-Gongora, 28, were ordered to serve 45 years.
All are El Salvadoran nationals illegally present in the United States. They previously pleaded guilty, admitting to being members of MS-13 and participating in a criminal enterprise responsible for murders, extortion, drug trafficking, robbery and obstruction of justice in and around the Houston area from 2017 through 2018.
“Today’s sentences send a clear message – those who carry out violence for transnational criminal organizations will be held accountable, no matter where the orders come from,” said Marck. “These defendants used brutality to advance within their criminal enterprise, and now they face the consequences. The Southern District of Texas will diligently continue working to dismantle violent criminal gangs that threaten our community.”
“These defendants, acting on behalf of a transnational criminal gang, carried out brutal murders, killing victims with machetes, baseball bats, and their bare hands, and then glorifying their violent acts by sending photos of their carnage to MS-13 leaders in El Salvador,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The Department commends the brave law enforcement officers and those who came forward to help law enforcement to resolve these cases. The lengthy sentences imposed send an unmistakable message that MS-13 and its accompanying violence are not welcome in the United States. The Criminal Division will relentlessly pursue MS-13 and hold those accountable who bring MS-13 violence to American communities.”
“This case centers on when MS-13 violence was at its peak in Houston. These gang members are among the most ruthless and violent criminals we’ve seen. They made of our communities their killing fields,” said Special Agent in Charge Jason Hudson of the FBI Houston Field Office. “Today’s hefty sentences should send a message to other violent terrorist organizations that the rule of law and justice will eventually catch up to you. This investigation, and today’s sentences, would not have been possible if it weren’t for our partnerships with the Houston Police Department, the Harris County Sheriff’s Office, and our law enforcement partners in El Salvador.”
“All eight of these MS-13 gang members illegally entered the country – including Aguilar Ochoa who illegally entered the U.S. four times – and went on to reign terror on our local communities,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Erin Burke of Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Homeland Security Investigations, Houston. “Working in conjunction with our partners, we were able to bring an end to the lawlessness that they’ve spread and hold them accountable for their depraved actions.”
In February 2025, the State Department designated MS-13 as a Foreign Terrorist Organization. MS-13 engages in violent criminal activity across the United States, including Texas, Virginia, Maryland, New York and California, and throughout the countries where it operates, including El Salvador and Honduras. Members use intimidation and violence, including murder and assault with deadly weapons, such as machetes, baseball bats, firearms and ligatures used for strangling, all to maintain power, reputation and territory.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Martinez-Rodriguez and Rivas-Guido admitted to involvement in murder ordered and approved by high-ranking MS-13 leaders in El Salvador, who at times monitored executions by phone.
Members carried out the murders to increase or maintain rank within the gang and targeted individuals believed to be rival gang members, law enforcement cooperators or people working against MS-13’s interests. After the murders, they sent photos of the victims’ bodies to leadership in El Salvador as proof of the executions to rise in rank, sometimes further mutilating or dismembering the bodies before sending them.
All have been and will remain in custody.
FBI and Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with assistance from police departments in Houston, Galveston and Prince George’s County in Maryland, Sheriff’s offices in Harris and Liberty counties, Texas Department of Public Safety, University of North Texas Center for Human Identification, U.S. Marshals Service and Texas Office of the Attorney General.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Keri Fuller and former Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Britni Verdeja prosecuted the case along with Trial Attorneys César S. Rivera-Giraud and Ben Tonkin from the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section.
This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force nationwide initiative, which is a White House directed, interagency effort to integrate federal, state and local partners in targeting transnational criminal organizations and led by the prosecutorial Joint Task Force Vulcan.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
MS-13 Members Sentenced to Decades in Prison for Brutal Murders Committed at Direction of Gang Leaders in El SalvadorRead the Press Release
Eight illegal aliens and members of the violent transnational criminal organization Mara Salvatrucha, commonly known as MS-13, have been sentenced for participating in a racketeering conspiracy that included witness tampering and multiple murders of individuals as young as 14.
“These defendants, acting on behalf of a transnational criminal gang, carried out brutal murders, killing victims with machetes, baseball bats, and their bare hands, and then glorifying their violent acts by sending photos of their carnage to MS-13 leaders in El Salvador,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The Department commends the brave law enforcement officers and those who came forward to help law enforcement to resolve these cases. The lengthy sentences imposed send an unmistakable message that MS-13 and its accompanying violence are not welcome in the United States. The Criminal Division will relentlessly pursue MS-13 and hold those accountable who bring MS-13 violence to American communities.”
“Today’s sentences send a clear message – those who carry out violence for transnational criminal organizations will be held accountable, no matter where the orders come from,” said Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck for the Southern District of Texas. “These defendants used brutality to advance within their criminal enterprise, and now they face the consequences. The Southern District of Texas will diligently continue working to dismantle violent criminal gangs that threaten our community.”
“This case centers on when MS-13 violence was at its peak in Houston. These gang members are among the most ruthless and violent criminals we’ve seen. They made our communities their killing fields,” said Special Agent in Charge Jason Hudson of the FBI Houston Field Office. “Today’s hefty sentences should send a message to other violent terrorist organizations that the rule of law and justice will eventually catch up to you. This investigation, and today’s sentences, would not have been possible if it weren’t for our partnerships with the Houston Police Department, the Harris County Sheriff’s Office, and our law enforcement partners in El Salvador.”
“All eight of these MS-13 gang members illegally entered the country – including Aguilar Ochoa who illegally entered the U.S. four times – and went on to reign terror on our local communities,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Erin Burke of Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Houston. “Working in conjunction with our partners, we were able to bring an end to the lawlessness that they’ve spread and hold them accountable for their depraved actions.”
Today, Edgardo Martinez-Rodriguez also known as Largo, 35, was sentenced to 50 years in prison and Wilman Rivas-Guido also known as Inquieto, 30, was sentenced to 45 years in prison. Six other MS-13 members have been sentenced to lengthy terms of imprisonment in connection with this case: Miguel Angel Aguilar-Ochoa also known as Darki, 40, Wilson Jose Ventura-Mejia also known as Discreto, 30, and Walter Chicas-Garcia, 28, each received 50-year sentences. Marlon Miranda Moran, 26, was ordered to serve 35 years in prison, while Luis Ernesto Carbajal-Peraza, 34, and Carlos Garcia-Gongora, 28, were ordered to serve 45 years in prison. All have been and will remain in custody.
All are El Salvadoran nationals illegally present in the United States. They previously pleaded guilty, admitting to being members of MS-13 and participating in a criminal enterprise responsible for murders, extortion, drug trafficking, robbery and obstruction of justice in and around the Houston area from 2017 through 2018. In February 2025, the U.S. State Department designated MS-13 as a Foreign Terrorist Organization. MS-13 engages in violent criminal activity across the United States, including in Texas, Virginia, Maryland, New York and California, and throughout the countries where it operates, such as El Salvador and Honduras. MS-13 routinely uses intimidation and violence, including murder and assault with deadly weapons like machetes, baseball bats, firearms, and ligature strangulation, all to maintain power, reputation and territory.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Martinez-Rodriguez and Rivas-Guido, who were sentenced today after admitting to involvement in murder ordered and approved by high-ranking MS-13 leaders in El Salvador, who at times monitored executions by phone. Members carried out the murders to increase or maintain rank within the gang and targeted individuals believed to be rival gang members, law enforcement cooperators or people working against MS-13’s interests. After the murders, members sent photos of the victims’ bodies to leadership in El Salvador as proof of the executions and in an effort to rise in rank, sometimes further mutilating or dismembering the bodies before sending the photos. Martinez-Rodriguez was a high-ranking leader in the conspiracy and initiated numerous murders ordered and approved by MS-13 leaders in El Salvador.
FBI and HSI conducted the investigation with assistance from police departments in Houston and Galveston, Texas, and Prince George’s County in Maryland; Sheriff’s offices in Harris and Liberty Counties in Texas; Texas Department of Public Safety; University of North Texas Center for Human Identification; U.S. Marshals Service and Texas Office of the Attorney General.
Trial Attorneys César S. Rivera-Giraud and Ben Tonkin of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Keri Fuller and former Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Britni Verdeja for the Southern District of Texas prosecuted this case.
This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force nationwide initiative, which is a White House directed, interagency effort to integrate federal, state, and local partners in targeting transnational criminal organizations, and led by the prosecutorial Joint Task Force Vulcan.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Persistent human smuggler sentenced for using minor in new scheme involving Chinese nationalsRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas – A 27-year-old Roma resident has been ordered to federal prison for transporting illegal aliens, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.
Lizandro Monroy pleaded guilty Dec. 8, 2025.
Chief U.S. District Judge Randy Crane has now ordered Monroy to serve 37 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court considered that Monroy has two prior federal convictions for human smuggling and returned to the same criminal conduct approximately one month after his release from federal custody. In handing down the sentence, the court noted similarities in his prior convictions to include that all involved vehicle or foot pursuits.
On June 21, 2025, authorities discovered a raft crossing the Rio Grande from Mexico near the Roma Observation Deck, a known human smuggling pickup location.
Law enforcement saw a grey Ford Focus make multiple passes before parking near the deck. Monroy exited the vehicle, left it running and then instructed the minor passenger to move into the driver’s seat and pick up the aliens.
Shortly thereafter, three Chinese nationals ran from the brush and entered the vehicle, prompting law enforcement to attempt a traffic stop. However, the minor driver fled, which led to a vehicle pursuit and multiple collisions. The vehicle eventually crashed into a utility pole and a law enforcement vehicle before coming to a stop. One of the aliens sustained a head laceration that required medical attention.
Monroy admitted he recruited and paid the 15-year-old minor to transport the smuggled aliens from the pickup location. He also provided the travel route and supplied a cell phone to receive instructions from smuggling coordinators.
He has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations and Border Patrol conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura Garcia prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Cypress resident sent to prison for 45 years after soliciting nearly 2 dozen minors for pornographic imagesRead the Press Release
HOUSTON - A 42-year-old man has been ordered to federal prison for multiple convictions involving the victimization of children for more than 10 years, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.
Patrick Tran pleaded guilty Oct. 25, 2025, to four counts of sexual exploitation of a minor and one count of possession of child pornography.
U.S. District Judge Andrew S. Hanen sentenced Tran to a total of 540 months in federal prison.
At the hearing, the court heard Tran had enticed 23 different minor victims on a video chat site into taking off their clothes and screen recorded it. He then used the videos to extort them into sending additional material and threatened to expose or harm the victims. In imposing the sentence, the court considered the numerous victim impact statements and testimony of one of the victims. One victim explained how Tran made her feel like an object – one he abused physically and mentally without even touching her. The victim also disclosed that she had contemplated suicide, thinking that was her only way out of the nightmare.
Tran was furthered ordered to pay over $108,000 in restitution to one of the victims and will serve the rest of his life on supervised release following completion of his prison term. During that time, he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the internet. Tran will also be ordered to register as a sex offender.
Tran admitted he victimized minors online for more than 10 years. He created online profiles to contact victims and used knowledge of their locations and contacts to blackmail and extort them.
The investigation began in October 2020 when a relative reported suspicious communications indicating Tran had directed a minor to send him nude photos.
Forensic analysis of the victim’s device revealed chats in which Tran solicited photos and videos. He threatened to post a video unless the victim sent additional images. Tran also directed how she should position herself and what to show. Feeling threatened and scared, the victim complied.
Law enforcement executed a search warrant at Tran’s residence and seized multiple electronic devices. A forensic examination revealed approximately 650 videos depicting minors, some under the age of 10, engaging in sexually explicit conduct.
Tran will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
FBI – Houston conducted the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kimberly Ann Leo and Luis Batarse prosecuted the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page. For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources tab on that page.
Sinaloa Cartel driver carrying over two million lethal doses of fentanyl sentenced to life imprisonmentRead the Press Release
VICTORIA, Texas – A 51-year-old Harlingen resident has been ordered to federal prison for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute meth and fentanyl, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.
The jury deliberated for less than an hour before convicting Jimenez James Love following a two-day trial Jan 21.
U.S. District Judge Drew B. Tipton has now ordered Love to serve the rest of his life in federal prison. At the hearing, the court heard additional testimony that included how he used at least 10 young women to distribute drugs and bragged about putting the meth inside their bodies. Evidence also revealed he had his own distribution ring and had beaten at least one witness, brutally knocking out two teeth and leaving him with a torn retina.
In handing down the life sentence, the court noted the large amount of meth and fentanyl involved and the use of young women in his criminal conduct.
The investigation began June 30, 2021, when law enforcement discovered Love was transporting meth and fentanyl concealed in the gas tank of his girlfriend’s vehicle.
At trial, the jury heard how authorities conducted a traffic stop and discovered approximately 11 kilograms of meth and 5.32 kilograms of fentanyl.
Testimony and evidence revealed Love was hired as a driver to transport drugs for the Sinaloa Cartel. Love's cargo was one of many shipments this arm of the organization had made. The number of shipments was so vast that an accurate number of shipments could not be fully determined. However, evidence showed the single load of fentanyl that Love was carrying contained over two million potential lethal doses.
The defense attempted to convince the jury Love was not involved in an ongoing drug trafficking operation. The jury did not believe the claims and found him guilty as charged.
Love will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, Texas Department of Public Safety and Customs and Border Protection conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Patti Hubert Booth prosecuted the case.
SDTX continues efforts to secure southern border with 443 more cases filedRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – Another 446 people have been charged in support of Operation Tack Back America from April 10-16, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.
A total of 169 individuals face illegal entry charges, while 242 allegedly re-entered the United States after prior removal. An additional 33 people are accused of engaging in human smuggling, while the remaining three cases relate to firearms crimes. Many also have prior convictions for narcotics, violent crime, sexual offenses, other immigration violations and more.
Among the new cases in recent days are two men from the McAllen area who are allegedly involved in human smuggling. The charges allege Yahaniel Somoza, Houston, picked up illegal aliens on at least two occasions, transporting some to a local mechanic shop. Somoza had allegedly taken some of their cell phones and/or instructed them to eat only twice a day. Law enforcement executed a subsequent search warrant and discovered 15 illegal aliens at the mechanic shop, according to the criminal complaint. In a separate case, Edinburg resident Fidel Cantu-Mendez had allegedly picked up several illegal aliens near the Rio Grande in Escobares. The charges allege he drove recklessly and told the occupants to run once the vehicle stopped. A foot chase ensued, according to the complaint. Authorities allegedly apprehended Cantu-Mendez as well as 13 illegal aliens near the vehicle. Somoza and Cantu-Mendez face up to 10 and five years in federal prison, respectively, upon conviction.
Also charged this week are Andrei Eduardo Mayorga Oliva and Julian Flores-Molina who allegedly reentered the United States without authorization. Oliva is a Honduran male found near Alamo, according to his charges. The criminal complaint alleges he has a prior conviction for carnal knowledge of a child and had been sentenced to three years in prison before his removal in May 2025. Law enforcement encountered Mexican national Julian Flores-Molina near Donna, despite having been previously removed in June 2024, according to the allegations. The charges allege Oliva has prior convictions for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, aggravated robbery, unauthorized use of a vehicle and illegal reentry and had served substantial time in prison. If convicted, they both could receive up to 20 years in federal prison.
In addition to the new cases, Operation Pick-Off efforts have continued with more people taken into custody in the Houston area. This SDTX initiative began as a multi-agency immigration and violent crime enforcement effort targeting criminal illegal aliens on state probation or supervision. It was originally announced in August 2025 in the Rio Grande Valley with federal charges against nearly 70 illegal aliens. Most had allegedly returned to the country after being previously removed, only to commit other crimes. The overall effort has since expanded to all divisions and resulted in numerous arrests of foreign nationals from countries including Mexico, El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala and more with various convictions, including murder. Operation Pick-Off operates on a continuous basis, with authorities engaging in rolling arrests and prosecutions.
Also of note this week was the sentencing of Mexican national Francisco Gerardo Garcia-Arzola. He was ordered to serve a 30-month sentence in Brownsville after illegally reentering the country for a third time. He was first removed in 2012, then again in 2024. However, authorities discovered him in the country illegally and took him into custody in June 2025. Garcia-Arzola has multiple previous convictions for possession of and manufacturing/delivering a controlled substance.
The cases are referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations, ICE - Enforcement and Removal Operations, Border Patrol, Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI, U.S. Marshals Service and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with additional assistance from state and local law enforcement partners.
The cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Under current leadership, public safety and a secure border are the top priorities for this district. Enhanced enforcement both at the border and in the interior of the district have yielded aliens engaged in unlawful activity or with serious criminal histories, including convictions for human trafficking, sexual assault and violence against children.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas remains one of the busiest in the nation. It represents 43 counties and more than 10 million people covering 44,000 square miles. Assistant U.S. Attorneys from all seven divisions including Houston, Galveston, Victoria, Corpus Christi, Brownsville, McAllen and Laredo work directly with our law enforcement partners on the federal, state and local levels to prosecute the suspected offenders of these and other federal crimes.
An indictment or criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
Jury convicts Houston man who distributed meth and firearms from motelRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 34-year-old self-proclaimed Crips street gang member has been convicted of drug trafficking and firearm offenses, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.
A federal jury in Houston deliberated for approximately 90 minutes before convicting Todd McCoy of three counts of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance and three counts of using or carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug offense following a four-day trial.
Over the course of a five-month investigation, McCoy sold approximately 215 grams of meth and four firearms during multiple meetings in Houston.
The jury heard that beginning in December 2024, McCoy conducted a series of transactions out of a motel on South Main Street. In one instance, McCoy said he had several pistols for sale and later sent photos of additional firearms, including a pistol with an extended magazine.
Testimony revealed McCoy claimed he controlled the motel and used lookouts for protection and had ready access to large quantities of meth and other drugs. McCoy also claimed he was a member of the Crips street gang.
The defense attempted to convince the jury that evidence was improperly handled, and the investigation was otherwise sloppy and unreliable. The jury did not believe those claims and found McCoy guilty as charged.
U.S. District Judge David Hittner presided over trial and set sentencing for July 9. At that time, McCoy faces up to life in prison.
The FBI and Houston Police Department conducted the investigation. The Drug Enforcement Administration conducted forensic testing of the meth McCoy sold and provided an expert witness who testified regarding the basics of drug trafficking. Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Ganz and Hunter Brown are prosecuting the case.
Fleeing drug smuggler sent to federal prisonRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 34-year-old Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, man has been ordered to prison for attempting to smuggle cocaine through the Border Patrol checkpoint near Kingsville, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.
Eric Barclay pleaded guilty Jan. 22 to possession with intent to distribute cocaine.
U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzalez Ramos has now ordered Barclay to serve 120 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by five years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard evidence Barclay fled on foot from law enforcement following a high-speed vehicle pursuit.
On July 25, 2024, Christopher Seabrook drove a silver Chrysler to the Javier Vega Jr. BP checkpoint near Sarita. Barclay was the passenger.
At the initial inspection, Seabrook fled and led law enforcement on a chase reaching speeds up to 125 miles per hour.
Authorities brought the vehicle to a stop by puncturing its tires, at which time Barclay tried to flee on foot. Following his apprehension and subsequent search of the vehicle, law enforcement discovered 10 bundles of cocaine weighing 9.8 kilograms hidden in the rear panels.
The narcotics have an estimated street value of $210,000.
Barclay has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Seabrook, 51, Philadelphia, was previously ordered to serve 120 months in federal prison.
BP and Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Texas Highway Patrol and the Philadelphia Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Lamont and Ashley Pruitt prosecuted the case.
Illegal alien guilty in decades-long identity theft schemeRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 62-year-old Mexican national illegally residing in Houston has admitted to theft of government funds and aggravated identity theft, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.
Beginning in 1992, Ana Silvia Garcia used a Social Security number belonging to a U.S. citizen. Using that identity, she submitted immigration petitions on behalf of family members and obtained disability and Medicare benefits.
As a result of the scheme, Garcia unlawfully received more than $278,000 in benefits from 2013 through February 2026. She was not entitled to those funds.
Garcia later admitted her true identity following her arrest in February.
U.S. District Judge Charles R. Eskridge will impose sentencing July 2. At that time, Garcia faces up to 10 years in federal prison for stealing government funds and a mandatory consecutive sentence of two years for committing aggravated identity theft.
Garcia has been and will remain in custody pending sentencing.
Social Security Administration - Office of Inspector General and Department of State - Diplomatic Security Service conducted the investigation with assistance of Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie Bauman is prosecuting the case.
The Department of Justice has created the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The core mission of the Fraud Division is to zealously investigate and prosecute those who steal or fraudulently misuse taxpayer dollars. Department of Justice efforts to combat fraud support President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste and abuse within federal benefit programs.
Prolific Alien Smuggler Extradited from Brazil to Face Charges in the United StatesRead the Press Release
Bangladeshi national Saiful Islam, 39, will make his initial appearance in Laredo, Texas, today after being extradited from Brazil. An indictment in the Southern District of Texas was unsealed today charging Islam for his role in a conspiracy that smuggled numerous aliens through Central America to the United States.
According to court documents, Islam participated in a wide-ranging human smuggling operation and assisted other smugglers by facilitating the travel of aliens from São Paulo, Brazil, and other locations in South America, Central America, and Mexico so that the aliens could illegally enter the United States. The aliens were brought to the Southern border and were instructed to cross into the United States by wading across the Rio Grande River or by jumping a border fence.
Islam is charged with conspiracy to bring an alien to the United States, multiple counts of bringing an alien to the United States for financial gain, and conspiracy to encourage and induce an alien to enter the United States. If convicted of bringing an alien to the United States for financial gain, he faces a mandatory minimum sentence of three or five years in prison and he faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison. If he is convicted of conspiracy to bring and/or conspiracy to encourage and induce and alien to enter the United States, he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.
Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck of the Southern District of Texas; and Special Agent in Charge Jason T. Stevens of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Phoenix made the announcement.
HSI Phoenix and HSI Laredo are investigating this case with assistance from the HSI Human Smuggling Unit in Washington, D.C., U.S. Customs and Border and Protection’s International Interdiction Task Force, HSI Mexico City, HSI Houston, HSI Calexico, HSI Monterrey, U.S. Border Patrol, the U.S. Marshals Service, and INTERPOL.
The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs (OIA) provided significant assistance in securing the defendant’s arrest and extradition from Brazil. The Justice Department thanks its Brazilian law enforcement counterparts for their assistance in this matter.
Trial Attorney Spencer M. Perry of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Leslie Cortez for the Southern District of Texas are prosecuting the case.
The investigation and charges are supported and prosecuted by JTFA, the Department’s lead effort in combating high-impact human smuggling and trafficking committed by cartels and Transnational Criminal Organizations (TCOs). A highly successful partnership between the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), JTFA investigates and prosecutes human smuggling and trafficking and related immigration crimes that impact public safety and border security. JTFA’s mission is to target the leaders and organizers of Cartels and TCOs involved in human smuggling and trafficking throughout the Americas. The Attorney General has elevated and expanded JTFA to target the most prolific and dangerous human smuggling and trafficking groups operating not only in Mexico and the Northern Triangle countries of Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras, but also in Canada, the Caribbean, and the maritime border, and elsewhere. Led by the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and supported by the Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section, the Office of International Affairs, and the Office of Enforcement Operations, among others, JTFA has dedicated Assistant United States Attorney-detailees from the Southern District of California; District of Arizona; District of New Mexico; Western and Southern Districts of Texas; Southern District of Florida; Northern District of New York; and District of Vermont. JTFA also partners with other USAOs throughout the country and supports high-priority cases in any district. All JTFA cases rely on substantial law enforcement resources from DHS, including ICE/HSI and CBP/BP and OFO, as well as FBI and other law enforcement agencies.
To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in more than 450 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of alien smuggling and/or trafficking; more than 395 U.S. convictions; more than 345 significant jail sentences imposed, and forfeitures of substantial assets.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Bangladeshi national extradited from Brazil to SDTX to face human smuggling chargesRead the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas – A 39-year-old man from Bangladesh is set to make his initial appearance in U.S. federal court for his role in a conspiracy that smuggled numerous illegal aliens through Central America to the United States, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.
Saiful Islam was extradited from Brazil April 10 and is scheduled to be in Laredo federal court before U.S. Magistrate Judge Christopher dos Santos at 9:30 a.m.
The indictment alleges Islam assisted other smugglers by facilitating the travel of illegal aliens from San Paolo, Brazil, and other locations through South America, Central America and Mexico to reach the United States.
According to the charges, they were taken to the southern border and instructed to enter the country by wading across the Rio Grande or jumping a border fence. Islam allegedly carried out the scheme for payment.
If convicted, Islam faces up to 15 years in federal prison for human smuggling and up to 10 years for conspiracy to bring and/or conspiracy to encourage and induce and alien to enter the United States as well as a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Leslie Cortez is prosecuting the case along with Joint Task Force Alpha detailee/Trial Attorney Spencer M. Perry of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations in Phoenix, Arizona, conducted the investigation along with HSI Laredo and assistance from the HSI Human Smuggling Unit in Washington, D.C., Customs and Border Protection’s Counter Network Division, HSI Mexico City, HSI Brasilia, HSI Calexico, HSI Monterrey, U.S. Border Patrol, U.S. Marshals Service and Interpol.
The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance in securing Islam’s arrest and extradition from Brazil. The Justice Department thanks its Brazilian law enforcement counterparts for making the extradition possible.
The investigation and charges are a result of the coordinated efforts of JTFA, a partnership with Department of Homeland Security which has been elevated and expanded with a mandate to target cartels and transnational criminal organizations to eliminate human smuggling and trafficking networks operating in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Panama and Colombia that impact public safety and the security of our borders. JTFA currently comprises detailees from U.S. Attorneys’ Offices along the southwest border, including the Southern District of California, Districts of Arizona and New Mexico and Western and Southern Districts of Texas. Dedicated support is provided by the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, led by the Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and supported by the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, Office of Enforcement Operations and the Office of International Affairs, among others. JTFA also relies on substantial law enforcement investment from DHS, FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration and other partners. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in more than 450 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of alien smuggling and/or trafficking; more than 395 U.S. convictions; more than 345 significant jail sentences imposed, and forfeitures of substantial assets.
To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in more than 450 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of alien smuggling and/or trafficking; more than 395 U.S. convictions; more than 345 significant jail sentences imposed, and forfeitures of substantial assets.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Tax preparers indicted for filing false tax returns causing thousands in fraudulent claimsRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – Two area residents are appearing in federal court on charges they willfully helped clients file false tax returns with the IRS, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.
Elfrin Lee Patten is set to make his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Peter Bray at 2 p.m. Laquisha “Cookie” Shelton has already appeared in federal court following her arrest April 9.
A federal grand jury returned the 16-count indictment March 8, which has now been unsealed.
According to the indictment, Patten ran E. Patten Tax Prep in Houston beginning in at least 2019 for approximately seven years, while Shelton worked as a preparer for the business. The charges allege they used false credits and deductions to fraudulently lower their clients’ tax liability. In some cases, refunds exceeded $10,000 and clients were charged thousands in fees, according to court documents.
Patten and Shelton allegedly used false Schedule C losses for nonexistent businesses and fraudulent Sick and Family Leave Credits to inflate refunds.
The charges further allege Patten sent text and WhatsApp messages pressuring witnesses not to cooperate. Shelton also allegedly submitted a false affidavit claiming she had never prepared a tax return.
The IRS identified at least $30 million in Sick and Family Leave Credits tied with the business, according to the allegations.
In addition, Patten’s 2022 return allegedly reported false wages and withholdings and was accompanied by a false W-2 for a business where he did not work. The indictment alleges that return claimed a refund of $18,386.
Patten and Shelton are charged with conspiracy and aiding and various counts of assisting in the preparation of false tax returns. Patten is also charged with filing a false tax return in his own name.
If convicted, both face up to five years in prison for the conspiracy count, as well as three years in prison for each of the tax charges. They also face potential fines of up to $250,000.
IRS Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brad Gray is prosecuting the case.
The Department of Justice has created the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The core mission of the Fraud Division is to zealously investigate and prosecute those who steal or fraudulently misuse taxpayer dollars. Department of Justice efforts to combat fraud support President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste and abuse within federal benefit programs.
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
Border enforcement efforts result in another 354 people charged in SDTXRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – In support of Operation Take Back America, the Southern District of Texas has filed another 353 cases in immigration and border-security related matters, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.
Of those charged from April 3-9, 114 are alleged to have illegally entered the United States, while another 212 face allegations of felony reentry after prior removal. Many have prior felony convictions involving narcotics, violent crimes and immigration offenses. An additional 25 people are accused of engaging in human smuggling, while the remaining three cases relate to other immigration crimes.
One illegal alien charged this week has a prior conviction for assault of a public servant, according to the charges. Authorities allegedly found El Salvadorian national William Alexander Morataya near Roma, despite having been removed March 3.
Charges also allege law enforcement found three others, all from Mexico, near the McAllen area without legal authorization to be in the United States. Omar Alejandro Valdez-Ornelas and Jose Antonio Romero-Uribe were previously removed Feb. 2 and March 13, respectively, according to court records. Criminal complaints allege Valdez-Ornelas has a prior felony sexual offense conviction, while Romero-Uribe allegedly assaulted a family member. Authorities had previously removed Javier Alegria-Ortega Oct. 19, 2025, following a conviction and sentence for bank fraud, according to his charges. However, law enforcement allegedly discovered him near Havana.
If convicted, all four men face up to 20 years in federal prison.
In addition to the new cases, another Mexican national who had illegally reentered the United States received a 495-month sentence for distributing drugs and machine guns from his South Texas residence. Carlos Alberto Garcia-Guajardo acted as a broker for selling narcotics and machine guns. The court heard how he emulated the “gangster” lifestyle and saw images of a Scarface poster hung in Garcia-Guajardo’s bedroom. In handing down the sentence, the court noted Garcia-Guajardo’s illegal status, the number of drugs and weapons involved, that he was a leader in this criminal enterprise and the dangerousness of his actions to include discharging firearms near children and from moving vehicles.
Another illegal alien was sentenced for her role in a multi-year cartel-linked human smuggling conspiracy. Giovana Lozano Hernandez served as the organization’s de facto chief financial officer, managing payments and records while working with Cartel del Noreste to smuggle more than 1,900 illegal aliens for profit. Authorities tied her to multiple smuggling incidents, including one involving 101 illegal aliens found inside a trailer, several of whom reported difficulty breathing and feared for their lives. A search of her residence uncovered cellphones, ledgers, more than $36,000 in proceeds and digital evidence documenting transportation, housing and payment tracking.
Also in Laredo, Guatemalan human smuggler Daniel Zavala Ramos aka Dany ZR pleaded guilty in a scheme tied to a tractor-trailer crash that killed more than 50 people and injured over 100 more. He and others transported illegal aliens, including unaccompanied minors, from Guatemala through Mexico to the United States. They recruited individuals, collected payment and arranged travel via foot and various other forms of transportation. In some cases, they provided scripted language if authorities apprehended them. He faces up to life at the time of his sentencing.
In Corpus Christi, Christopher Henson received 36 months for smuggling aliens in a disguised fishing trip. The investigation revealed Henson used his boat to bypass interior Border Patrol checkpoints while transporting illegal aliens along coastal waters. He posed trips as fishing excursions, sailing south to pick up illegal aliens at Port Mansfield, then traveling north to dock at locations beyond the checkpoints.
Also of note was the sentencing of Mexican national Miguel Carreon in Houston. The court imposed a 57-month sentence, noting how he chose to reenter the United States illegally and commit other crimes. Carreon has a previous conviction for conspiracy to distribute meth and was first removed in 2016.
These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations, ICE - Enforcement and Removal Operations, Border Patrol, Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI, U.S. Marshals Service and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with additional assistance from state and local law enforcement partners.
The cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Under current leadership, public safety and a secure border are the top priorities for this district. Enhanced enforcement both at the border and in the interior of the district have yielded aliens engaged in unlawful activity or with serious criminal histories, including convictions for human trafficking, sexual assault and violence against children.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas remains one of the busiest in the nation. It represents 43 counties and more than nine million people covering 44,000 square miles. Assistant U.S. Attorneys from all seven divisions including Houston, Galveston, Victoria, Corpus Christi, Brownsville, McAllen and Laredo work directly with our law enforcement partners on the federal, state and local levels to prosecute the suspected offenders of these and other federal crimes.
An indictment or criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
Illegal alien handed nearly 500-month sentence for distributing drugs and machine guns from South Texas residence after illegally reentering United StatesRead the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas – Two men have been handed significant sentences related to the sale of cocaine, machine guns and other drugs, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.
The jury deliberated for less than three hours before finding Mexican national Carlos Alberto Garcia-Guajardo, 34, guilty on all 12 counts as charged following a less than three-day trial Dec. 3, 2025. Fernando Patino Jr., 32, Laredo, pleaded guilty prior to trial.
Visiting U.S. District Judge Ivan Lemelle has now ordered Garcia-Guajardo to serve a total of 495 months in federal prison. Not a U.S. citizen, he is expected to face removal proceedings following his imprisonment. Patino received a 30-year sentence to be immediately followed by five years of supervised release.
At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence that Garcia-Guajardo acted as a broker for selling narcotics and machine guns. Judge Lemelle considered that Garcia-Guajardo emulated the “gangster” lifestyle and saw images of a Scarface poster hung in Garcia-Guajardo’s bedroom. In handing down the sentence, the court noted Garcia-Guajardo’s illegal status, the number of drugs and weapons involved, that he was a leader in this criminal enterprise and the dangerousness of Garcia-Guajardo’s actions to include discharging firearms near children and from moving vehicles.
At trial, the jury heard that Garcia-Guajardo and Patino sold cocaine and firearms, including several machine guns, out of a residential home in Laredo. Testimony revealed details of the undercover operation which led to the discovery of the conspiracy. Starting Jan. 2, 2025, Patino and Garcia-Guajardo began selling cocaine and machine guns to undercover agents while using the sale of the narcotics and firearms to negotiate additional future deals.
Evidence also showed Garcia-Guajardo and Patino not only sold drugs and weapons but fired them indiscriminately within their neighborhood and conducted extensive drug trafficking. Both Garcia-Guajardo and Patino drove around Laredo, firing various firearms from the windows of their vehicle.
Further, on several occasions, the men had used a minor child to test fire various firearms, including machine guns. In several of these videos, Garcia-Guajardo and Patino were drinking excessively and using drugs.
On Jan. 31, 2025, law enforcement executed a search warrant on the 3000 block of Monterrey Street in Laredo. At that time, they found Garcia-Guajardo along with Jose Guadalupe Hernandez-Garza, a 27-year-old illegal alien from Mexico, as well as scales, cash in various denominations, crack cocaine and multiple firearms stored near items belonging to young children.
Garcia-Guajardo was also convicted of illegal reentry, having been ordered removed from the United States on two occasions, most recently in July 2024. As an illegal alien, he is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition per federal law.
Both Patino and Garcia-Guajardo will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Hernandez-Garza admitted to being an alien illegally in possession of a firearm and ammunition and has been ordered to prison. Not a U.S. citizen, he is expected to face removal proceedings following his imprisonment.
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Drug Enforcement Administration; Laredo Police Department; and Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with the assistance of ICE - Enforcement and Removal Operations, Texas Department of Public Safety, Texas Anti-Gang Unit – Laredo Center and Border Patrol.
Assistant U.S. Attorney’s Tory R. Sailer and Brandon Scott Bowling prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Mexican national admits to role in Black Market Peso Exchange money laundering schemeRead the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas – A 52-year-old foreign national has pleaded guilty for his role in two-year, multimillion-dollar trade-based money laundering conspiracy to move drug trafficking proceeds through Texas to Mexico, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.
Gabriel Arturo Castillo, Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico, participated in a sophisticated, international money laundering conspiracy to transfer proceeds from the sale of illegal drugs in the United States to cartels in Mexico without physically transporting money across the U.S.-Mexico border. The conspirators concealed those funds through the movement of goods between the two countries.
As part of the black-market peso exchange scheme, the criminal conspiracy received large quantities of U.S. dollar drug proceeds in various cities in the United States. The proceeds then were either deposited into various bank accounts or transported to Laredo.
From there, the drug proceeds were sold to Mexican business owners in Mexico who used the U.S. currency to purchase products from stores in the United States, including perfume sellers. Once the businesses received payment, the merchandise Mexican business operators purchased was transported from Laredo to Mexico.
Finally, Mexican business operators paid for the drug proceeds by transferring pesos in Mexico to the drug trafficking organizations. By doing so, the conspirators sought to conceal the source of the drug proceeds and to allow the Mexico-based drug dealers to receive their profits in their native currency, pesos.
“Castillo and his co-conspirators all played a critical role in laundering millions of dollars in drug proceeds through an intricate trade-based money laundering scheme,” said Marck. “This plea is yet another step we are taking to dismantle the financial networks that fuel violence and narcotics trafficking along our southern border. We will continue to follow the money trail until all participants in this organization are held accountable.”
“For years, Gabriel Arturo Castillo agreed to launder millions of dollars in drug proceeds through an intricate trade-based money laundering system,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Cartels are motivated by profit, and these financial facilitators promote their deadly drug trafficking and endanger lives, legitimate business and trade. The devastating effects of this transnational crime are vast and wide ranging. This conviction sends a clear message that the Criminal Division will pursue narcotraffickers as well as those who enable their crimes.”
“Gabriel Castillo played a key role for years in hiding drug trafficking proceeds using complex money laundering schemes,” said Special Agent in Charge Miguel Madrigal of the Drug Enforcement Administration San Antonio Division. “Castillo helped facilitate the concealment of drug profits through elaborate laundering operations. But once DEA agents in Laredo started their investigation, they swiftly identified the cartel's activities, leading to justice and ending the criminal schemes that empower their operations.”
“The specific type of scheme they used is called a black-market peso exchange, versions of which existed for decades and can be as complex as the concept is old,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Rodrick Benton of IRS Criminal Investigation’s Houston Field Office. “We were able to follow the money to unravel how merchandise was purchased from U.S. businesses near the border and then sold in Mexico for a predetermined price. You can’t hide your ill-gotten gains from a law enforcement agency dedicated to following the money.”
U.S. District Judge Marina Garcia Marmolejo will impose sentencing July 7. At that time, Castillo faces up to 20 years in federal prison.
DEA and IRS-CI conducted the investigation. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and Office of Judicial Attaché in Bogotá, Colombia, provided significant assistance in this matter. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with law enforcement partners in Mexico to secure the arrest and August 2025 extradition of Castillo.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lance Watt and Amanda Gould are prosecuting the case along with Trial Attorneys Keith H. Liddle and Stephanie Williamson of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section.
Mexican National Pleads Guilty to Black-Market Peso Exchange Money Laundering SchemeRead the Press Release
A Mexican national pleaded guilty yesterday to participating in a two-year, multimillion-dollar trade-based money laundering conspiracy that moved drug trafficking proceeds through Texas to Mexico.
According to court documents, Gabriel Arturo Castillo, 52, of Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico, participated in a sophisticated, international money laundering conspiracy to transfer proceeds from the sale of illegal drugs in the United States to cartels in Mexico without physically transporting money across the U.S.-Mexico border. The conspirators concealed those funds through the movement of goods between the two countries.
As part of the black-market peso exchange scheme, the criminal conspiracy received large quantities of United States dollar drug proceeds in various cities in the United States. The proceeds then either were deposited into various bank accounts or transported to Laredo, Texas. From there, the drug proceeds were sold to Mexican business owners in Mexico who used the U.S. currency to purchase products from stores in the United States, including perfume sellers. Once the businesses received payment, the merchandise purchased by the Mexican business operators was transported from Laredo to Mexico. Finally, Mexican business operators paid for the drug proceeds by transferring pesos in Mexico to the drug trafficking organizations. By doing so, the conspirators sought to conceal the source of the drug proceeds and to allow the Mexico-based drug dealers to receive their profits in their native currency, pesos.
“For years, Gabriel Arturo Castillo agreed to launder millions of dollars in drug proceeds through an intricate trade-based money laundering system,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Cartels are motivated by profit, and these financial facilitators promote their deadly drug trafficking and endanger lives, legitimate business, and trade. The devastating effects of this transnational crime are vast and wide ranging. This conviction sends a clear message that the Criminal Division will pursue narcotraffickers as well as those who enable their crimes.”
“Castillo and his co-conspirators all played a critical role in laundering millions of dollars in drug proceeds through an intricate trade-based money laundering scheme,” said Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck for the Southern District of Texas. “This plea is yet another step we are taking to dismantle the financial networks that fuel violence and narcotics trafficking along our southern border. We will continue to follow the money trail until all participants in this organization are held accountable.”
“Gabriel Castillo played a key role for years in hiding drug trafficking proceeds using complex money laundering schemes,” said Special Agent in Charge Miguel Madrigal of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) San Antonio Division. “Castillo helped facilitate the concealment of drug profits through elaborate laundering operations. But once DEA agents in Laredo started their investigation, they swiftly identified the cartel's activities, leading to justice and ending the criminal schemes that empower their operations.”
“The specific type of scheme they used is called a black-market peso exchange, versions of which existed for decades and can be as complex as the concept is old,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Rodrick Benton of the IRS Criminal Investigation’s Houston Field Office. “We were able to follow the money to unravel how merchandise was purchased from U.S. businesses near the border and then sold in Mexico for a predetermined price. You can’t hide your ill-gotten gains from a law enforcement agency dedicated to following the money.”
Castillo pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering. He is scheduled to be sentenced on July 7 and faces a statutory maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The DEA and IRS-CI are investigating the case.
Trial Attorneys Keith Liddle and Stephanie Williamson of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section (MNF) and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lance Watt and Amanda Gould for the Southern District of Texas are prosecuting the case.
The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with law enforcement partners in Mexico to secure the arrest and August 2025 extradition of Castillo.
MNF’s mission is to take the profit out of crime, eliminate drug cartels, and protect the U.S. financial system. MNF pursues criminal prosecutions and criminal and civil asset recovery actions involving: financial facilitators who launder profits for criminals; financial institutions and their officers and employees whose actions threaten the U.S. financial system and financial institutions; international money launderers who support transnational organized crime; and the top command and control of international drug trafficking organizations.
MNF’s Money Laundering and Forfeiture Unit investigates and prosecutes sophisticated money laundering schemes involving financial facilitators, gatekeepers, and other individuals and entities laundering criminal proceeds, and litigates complex civil forfeiture cases to recover assets on behalf of victims.
Illegal alien sentenced for cartel-linked conspiracy to smuggle over 1900 aliensRead the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas – A 27-year-old Mexican national illegally residing in Laredo has been ordered to federal prison for her role in a multi-year conspiracy to smuggle illegal aliens for financial gain, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.
Giovana Lozano Hernandez pleaded guilty Sept. 3, 2025.
U.S. District Judge John A. Kazen has now ordered Hernandez to serve 70 months in federal prison. Not a U.S. citizen, she is expected to face removal proceedings following her imprisonment. At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence that the large-scale human smuggling organization operated as a “one-stop shop” for harboring and transporting illegal aliens on the United States side of the border. In handing down the sentence, the court noted the depth of her involvement and significant responsibility she had in this large-scale human smuggling organization. Further, the court noted the dangerous individuals involved in this organization.
The investigation revealed Hernandez served as the group’s de facto chief financial officer, managing its books and finances alongside her husband, Danny Nunez. The couple worked directly with Cartel del Noreste and helped smuggle over 1,900 aliens which resulted in a substantial amount of illicit profits for both the CDN and the couple.
Authorities tied Hernandez to multiple smuggling events dating back to March 2023. In one December 2023 incident, authorities observed several people being loaded into a white trailer at a warehouse. A subsequent search uncovered 101 aliens inside the trailer, including 12 unaccompanied minors.
Several of the aliens reported difficulty breathing and feared for their lives due to the trailer’s conditions.
A search of the couple’s home led to the discovery of cellphones, ledgers documenting smuggling activity, more than $36,000 in proceeds and two illegal aliens on the premises. Authorities also identified numerous digital images of paper ledgers and illegal aliens as well as voice messages exchanged between Hernandez and others detailing the transportation, housing and financial accountability for aliens who had already been transported and harbored.
Nunez, 35, was previously ordered to serve 10 years in federal prison Jan. 7.
Hernandez will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations, FBI, Border Patrol and Texas Department of Public Safety conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Laredo Police Department and ICE - Enforcement and Removal Operations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon Scott Bowling prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Houston operation leads to charges against several for drug and gun crimes linked to Clinton Park neighborhoodRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A total of 10 Houston residents are now in custody for various firearm and drug trafficking offenses, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.
Authorities arrested Damian Ray Broussard, 39, Corre Deandre Plater, 36, Stacy Lawton, 46, Quentin Mayes, 51, Johnnie Lee Chatmon, 51, Leroy Lumpkin, 55, Emanuel Walker, 30, and Anthony Means, 51, April 7, who have begun to make their initial appearances in federal court. All are charged in separate, but related indictments returned in March which were unsealed upon their initial appearances.
Ronald Maddox, 42, was previously arrested and remains in custody pending further criminal proceedings.
At the time of the arrests, law enforcement also took a 10th man into custody. Justin Leonard, 39, is charged in a separate, but similar criminal complaint. He is in custody on related charges and is expected to make his appearance in federal court in the near future.
According to the allegations, the group trafficked fentanyl, crystal meth, cocaine and counterfeit pharmaceutical drugs as well as firearms in Houston’s Clinton Park neighborhood.
As detailed in the complaint, Walker and Leonard allegedly sold various amounts of cocaine, crystal meth and approximately 3,000 pills containing meth. Leonard has also sold a large amount of crack cocaine out of the Clinton Park residence, according to the charges.
As part of the operation, authorities allegedly discovered and seized over 30 firearms, cocaine, pills containing meth or fentanyl, crystal meth, prescription pills, crack cocaine, heroin, marijuana and cash, among other things.
With the exception of Mayes, Chatmon and Walker, who face varying terms up to 40 years in federal prison for the drug charges, the remaining men could receive up to life in prison for either the drug and/or firearms charges. All could also be ordered to pay a maximum $250,000 fine on any of the counts.
FBI – Houston led the investigation as part of Operation Spring Cleaning along with Houston Police Department; U.S. Marshals Service; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and Texas Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard D. Hanes is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
Tax preparer indicted for filing false tax returns causing thousands in fraudulent claimsRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A Houston area woman has been taken into custody on charges that she willfully helped clients file false tax returns with the IRS, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.
Bobbie Zermeno aka Roberta Villarreal is set to make her initial appearance in Houston federal court before U.S. Magistrate Judge Peter Bray at 2 p.m.
A federal grand jury returned the 14-count indictment March 25, which was unsealed upon her arrest.
Zermeno ran a tax preparation business in Houston from at least 2017 to 2022, according to the charges. At times during those years, she allegedly added false credits or deductions on tax returns to fraudulently lower her clients’ overall tax liability.
The indictment alleges Zermeno utilized false Schedule C losses for businesses that did not even exist and false car mileage expenses to fraudulently inflate her clients’ tax refunds. The false amounts claimed on these returns would, at times, exceed thousands of dollars, according to the charges.
Zermeno allegedly earned money from the scheme by charging her clients preparation fees of hundreds of dollars per return. The charges also allege she did not disclose some of these fees to her clients.
If convicted, she faces up to three years in prison for each count of aiding in the preparation and filing of false tax returns as well as potential fines of up to $250,000.
IRS Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christine Lu and Brad Gray are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
Mexican citizen sent to federal prison for importing $1.4M worth of cocaineRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas – A 24-year-old foreign national with a B1/B2 visa has been sentenced for possession with intent to distribute cocaine, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.
Roberto Ferral-Sanchez pleaded guilty Nov. 25, 2025.
U.S. District Judge Drew B. Tipton has now ordered Ferral-Sanchez to serve 48 months in federal prison. Not a U.S. citizen, he is expected to face removal proceedings following his imprisonment. At the hearing, the court heard that Ferral-Sanchez was not a lower-level participant in the organization given the amount of narcotics involved. In handing down the sentence, the court noted bringing narcotics across an international border is a critical and risky drug trafficking function.
On Sept. 14, 2025, Ferral-Sanchez approached primary lane at the Hidalgo Port of Entry. Authorities referred him to for further inspection where an X-ray of the Chevrolet Cruze he was driving revealed anomalies along the rocker panels on both sides of the vehicle.
Law enforcement removed the back paneling and discovered two hidden aftermarket compartments containing approximately 16 sealed and marked bundles.
The packages tested positive for cocaine and weighed approximately 18.7 kilograms and have an estimated street value of approximately $1.4 million.
Ferral-Sanchez will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jose A. Garcia prosecuted the case.
Local man sentenced for smuggling illegal aliens in disguised fishing tripRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 47-year-old Corpus Christi man has been ordered to federal prison for attempting to smuggle two illegal aliens through the Intracoastal Waterway, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.
Christopher Henson pleaded guilty Sept. 29, 2025.
U.S. District Judge David S. Morales has now ordered Henson to serve 36 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. In handing down the sentence, the court noted Henson’s prior smuggling conduct and possession of a firearm on two occasions despite being a felon.
The investigation revealed Henson used his boat to bypass interior Border Patrol checkpoints while transporting illegal aliens along coastal waters. He posed trips as fishing excursions, sailing south to pick up illegal aliens at Port Mansfield, then traveling north to dock at locations beyond the checkpoints.
On March 30, 2025, authorities were conducting surveillance in an area known as a drop-off point for illegal aliens transported along coastal waterways. They observed Henson preparing to dock his boat.
As law enforcement approached, Henson jumped into the water and attempted to flee. Authorities soon took him into custody and discovered a firearm in his jacket.
A search of the vessel revealed two illegal aliens who had traveled north with Henson from Port Mansfield.
He has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
U.S. Coast Guard, BP, Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations and Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Lamont prosecuted the case.
This case is also part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the DOJ to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood..
Guatemalan human smuggler admits to role in 2021 mass casualty event in Chiapas, MexicoRead the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas – A 42-year-old foreign national has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to bring an illegal alien into the United States, placing life in jeopardy, causing serious bodily injury and resulting in death, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.
Daniel Zavala Ramos aka Dany ZR admitted he conspired with others in the smuggling scheme tied to a tractor-trailer crash involving at least 160 illegal aliens – many of them from Guatemala – that killed more than 50 people and injured over 100 more.
According to court documents, Ramos and others transported illegal aliens, both adults and unaccompanied minors, from Guatemala though Mexico to the United States. He and his co-conspirators recruited Guatemalan aliens, collected payment and arranged for the aliens to travel by foot, inside microbuses, cattle trucks and tractor-trailers.
Illegal aliens paid Zavala Ramos and his co-conspirators to be smuggled to the United States. In some cases, Zavala Ramos and others provided scripted language for unaccompanied minors to use if U.S. immigration authorities apprehended them.
On Dec. 9, 2021, Zavala Ramos and co-conspirators arranged for the aliens they were smuggling to the United States to be loaded into a tractor trailer that was to transport the aliens through Mexico. The vehicle ultimately crashed north of the Guatemala/Mexico border near Tuxtla Guiterrez, Chiapas, Mexico, resulting in the death of 56 people. Over 100 other illegal aliens were injured, some very seriously.
Ramos was extradited in 2025 to face charges in the United States.
U.S. District Judge Marina Garcia Marmolejo will impose sentencing July 7. At that time, Ramos faces up to life in prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s – Homeland Security Investigations’ Counter Proliferation Investigations Group in Washington D.C. conducted the joint investigation with HSI offices in Guatemala and Mexico with substantial assistance of HSI’s Human Smuggling Unit and HSI offices in Houston and Laredo, Customs and Border Protection’s National Targeting Center, Operation Sentinel, Border Patrol, Liberty County Constable - Precinct 6; ICE - Enforcement and Removal Operations in Houston, U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Texas and Justice Department’s Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development, Assistance and Training.
The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance in securing the arrests and extraditions. Guatemalan and Mexican prosecutors, with the support of law enforcement officials from both countries, were also instrumental in furthering the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mary Lou Castillo and Jennifer Day are prosecuting the case along with Senior Trial Attorney Danielle Hickman of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section with substantial assistance from HRSP Latin American Specialist/Historian Joanna Crandall.
The charges are a result of the coordinated efforts of Joint Task Force Alpha. JTFA, a partnership with Department of Homeland Security, has been elevated and expanded with a mandate to target cartels and transnational criminal organizations to eliminate human smuggling and trafficking networks operating in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Panama and Colombia that impact public safety and the security of our borders. JTFA currently comprises detailees from U.S. Attorneys’ Offices along the southwest border, including the Southern District of California, Districts of Arizona and New Mexico and Western and Southern Districts of Texas. Dedicated support is provided by the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, led by the Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and supported by the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, Office of Enforcement Operations and the Office of International Affairs, among others. JTFA also relies on substantial law enforcement investment from DHS, FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration and other partners. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in more than 450 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of alien smuggling and/or trafficking; more than 395 U.S. convictions; more than 345 significant jail sentences imposed, and forfeitures of substantial assets.
This case is also part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the DOJ to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood..
Guatemalan Human Smuggler Pleads Guilty for Role in 2021 Mass Casualty Event in Chiapas, MexicoRead the Press Release
A Guatemalan national charged in connection with the Dec. 9, 2021 mass casualty event in Chiapas, Mexico, pleaded guilty today to human smuggling charges related to the crash of a tractor-trailer packed with at least 160 illegal aliens — many of them Guatemalan nationals — which resulted in the deaths of more than 50 people, including unaccompanied children, and injured over 100 more.
According to the factual summary entered into the record and court documents, Daniel Zavala Ramos, also known as “Dany ZR,” 42, of Guatemala, acknowledged that he conspired with other smugglers to transport undocumented aliens, both adults and unaccompanied minors, from Guatemala though Mexico to the United States. Zavala Ramos and his co-conspirators recruited Guatemalan aliens, collected payment and arranged for the aliens to travel by foot, inside microbuses, cattle trucks and tractor-trailers. Daniel Zavala Ramos was extradited from Guatemala in 2025 to face charges.
The factual summary further provided that aliens paid Zavala Ramos and his co-conspirators to be smuggled to the United States. In some cases, Zavala Ramos and his co-conspirators provided scripted language for unaccompanied minors to use if apprehended by U.S. immigration authorities. During the conspiracy, on Dec. 9, 2021, Zavala Ramos and his co-conspirators arranged for the aliens they were smuggling to the United States to be loaded into a tractor trailer that was to transport the aliens through Mexico. The tractor trailer ultimately crashed north of the Guatemala/Mexico border near Tuxtla Guiterrez, Chiapas, Mexico, resulting in the death of 56 people. Over 100 other illegal aliens were injured, some very seriously.
Zavala Ramos pleaded guilty to conspiracy to bring and attempt to bring an undocumented alien to the United States, placing life in jeopardy, causing serious bodily injury and resulting in death. Zavala Ramos will be sentenced on July 7 and faces a maximum penalty of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
HSI’s Counter Proliferation Investigations Group in Washington D.C. investigated the case in partnership with HSI Guatemala and HSI Mexico. Valuable assistance was provided by HSI’s Human Smuggling Unit; HSI Houston; HSI Laredo; U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s International Interdiction Task Force; U.S. Border Patrol; Liberty County Constable, Precinct 6; ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Houston; U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Texas, Beaumont Division; and the Criminal Division’s Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development, Assistance, and Training. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance in securing the arrests and extraditions of the defendants. Guatemalan prosecutors from the Office of Public Ministry and Mexican prosecutors from the Republic of Mexico’s Federal Prosecutions Office, with the support of law enforcement officials from both countries, were also instrumental in furthering the investigation.
Senior Trial Attorney Danielle Hickman of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section (HRSP) and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mary Lou Castillo and Jennifer Day for the Southern District of Texas are prosecuting the case, with substantial assistance from HRSP Latin American Specialist/Historian Joanna Crandall.
The investigation and charges are supported and prosecuted by Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA), the Department’s lead effort in combating high-impact human smuggling and trafficking committed by cartels and Transnational Criminal Organizations (TCOs). A highly successful partnership between the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), JTFA investigates and prosecutes human smuggling and trafficking and related immigration crimes that impact public safety and border security. JTFA’s mission is to target the leaders and organizers of Cartels and TCOs involved in human smuggling and trafficking throughout the Americas. The Attorney General has elevated and expanded JTFA to target the most prolific and dangerous human smuggling and trafficking groups operating not only in Mexico and the Northern Triangle countries of Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras, but also in Canada, the Caribbean, and the maritime border, and elsewhere. Led by the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and supported by the Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section, the Office of International Affairs, and the Office of Enforcement Operations, among others, JTFA has dedicated Assistant United States Attorney-detailees from the Southern District of California; District of Arizona; District of New Mexico; Western and Southern Districts of Texas; Southern District of Florida; Northern District of New York; and District of Vermont. JTFA also partners with other USAOs throughout the country and supports high-priority cases in any district. All JTFA cases rely on substantial law enforcement resources from DHS, including ICE/HSI and CBP/BP and OFO, as well as FBI and other law enforcement agencies.
To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in more than 450 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of alien smuggling and/or trafficking; more than 395 U.S. convictions; more than 345 significant jail sentences imposed, and forfeitures of substantial assets.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) and Project Safe Neighborhood.
Convicted illegal alien felon sent back to federal prisonRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 43-year-old Mexican national who illegally resided in Houston has been sentenced for illegally reentering the country without authorization, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.
Miguel Carreon pleaded guilty Sept. 29, 2025.
U.S. District Judge Kenneth Hoyt has now ordered Carreon to serve 57 months in federal prison. Not a U.S. citizen, he is expected to face removal proceedings following his imprisonment. In handing down the sentence, the court considered the dangerousness of his other crimes, lack of respect for the law and need for deterrence. Judge Hoyt noted Carreon chose to re-enter the United States illegally and commit other crimes and that reducing his sentence would send the wrong message to him and others.
Carreon has a prior felony conviction for conspiracy to distribute meth. He was first removed from the United States in January 2016. Authorities discovered him again in Houston after he was convicted for aggravated assault with a firearm.
He will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Immigration Customs Enforcement – Enforcement Removal Operations conducted the investigation. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Carrie Law prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Final week of March sees record number of cases with 511 charged in one week for immigration and related crimesRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – Another 508 cases have been filed as a result of efforts along the South Texas border in support of Operation Take Back America from March 27-April 2, the most in Southern District since initiative’s implementation, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.
A total of 31 people are charged with human smuggling crimes. Another 200 criminal complaints were filed for illegal entry, while 274 people face charges of felony reentry after prior removal. Most of those individuals have prior felony convictions, including narcotics, violent crime, immigration offenses and more. The remaining cases involve firearms charges and other immigration crimes.
Among those charged with felony reentry include two men with prior convictions to include possession of cocaine, discharging a firearm, assault causing bodily injury, unlawful carrying of a weapon or driving while intoxicated, according to the allegations. Roberto Efrain Portillo-Funes and Jani Manuel Pereda-Figueredo had been removed Nov. 7 and Nov. 28, 2025, according to their respective charges. However, authorities allegedly discovered them in the McAllen area without authorization to be in the United States.
Another illegal alien facing charges this week is Mexican national Jose Garza Lopez, whom law enforcement allegedly discovered unlawfully in the country near Bonito. According to court documents, he was previously removed June 15, 2023. The complaint alleges he has prior convictions for transportation or harboring of aliens, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and two convictions for possession with intent to distribute.
Additional charges allege two previous felons had also illegally reentered the country. Mexican nationals Fernando Perales-Hernandez and Luis Miguel Zagaon-Melchor had both been previously removed Jan. 23, 2015, and April 14, 2017, according to their respective complaints. Perales-Hernandez allegedly has a previous conviction for manufacture or delivery of a controlled substance, while Zagaon-Melchor has a previous conviction for transporting or harboring aliens, according to his complaint.
If convicted, all five men face up to 20 years in federal prison.
In addition to the new cases, a San Juan resident received a 33-month term in federal prison for transporting illegal aliens. Mario Trevino drove a tractor-trailer to the Border Patrol checkpoint near Sarita and claimed it was empty, but authorities discovered six illegal aliens concealed in the sleeper area. Some were hidden underneath a blanket, while others hid in a cabinet. They reported illegally entering the United States and being transported through multiple locations in the Rio Grande Valley before being directed to enter the tractor-trailer. They further stated Trevino instructed them to remain hidden and not move.
These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations, ICE - Enforcement and Removal Operations, Border Patrol, Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI, U.S. Marshals Service and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with additional assistance from state and local law enforcement partners.
The cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Under current leadership, public safety and a secure border are the top priorities for this district. Enhanced enforcement both at the border and in the interior of the district have yielded aliens engaged in unlawful activity or with serious criminal histories, including convictions for human trafficking, sexual assault and violence against children.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas remains one of the busiest in the nation. It represents 43 counties and more than nine million people covering 44,000 square miles. Assistant U.S. Attorneys from all seven divisions including Houston, Galveston, Victoria, Corpus Christi, Brownsville, McAllen and Laredo work directly with our law enforcement partners on the federal, state and local levels to prosecute the suspected offenders of these and other federal crimes.
An indictment or criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
Drug trafficking leader gets 20 years in Homeland Security Task Force effortRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 33-year-old Houston man has been sentenced for his role in the distribution of multiple narcotics, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.
Cyrus Boujabadi pleaded guilty June 6, 2025, to possessing MDMA with the intent to distribute it and for engaging in a monetary transaction in criminally derived property.
U.S. District Ewing Werlein Jr. has now ordered Boujabadi to serve a total of 240 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by five years of supervised release. The court also imposed a $5,000 fine. In handing down the sentence, the court heard additional evidence detailing Boujabadi’s leadership role in the scheme. The court found he acted as an organizer and took steps to insulate himself from law enforcement by using couriers. He had also used his residence to distribute drugs, engaged in drug trafficking as a pattern of criminal livelihood and possessed a firearm in connection with his drug trafficking enterprise.
From January 2019 to approximately July 2023, Boujabadi conspired with others to distribute MDMA, meth, cocaine, marijuana, psilocybin and DMT. As part of the conspiracy, he coordinated drug transactions using a messaging application, directed others to deliver controlled substances and accepted payment in cash and electronic transfers.
Law enforcement executed a search warrant at Boujabadi’s residence and seized meth, MDMA tablets, Xanax, marijuana, DMT, THC oils and edibles and psilocybin mushrooms. They also found drug trafficking equipment, cash and cryptocurrency. Further investigation revealed the funds and digital assets were proceeds of drug trafficking.
Boujabadi deposited the drug proceeds into accounts he controlled to enrich himself, including purchasing multiple properties in Tennessee, which have now been forfeited.
To date, five others have been convicted and sentenced in connection with the conspiracy.
Boujabadi will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
This operation is now part of the Homeland Security Task Force initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of U.S. law enforcement towards identifying, investigating and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes these organizations commit, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Houston comprises agents and officers from Drug Enforcement Administration; Texas Department of Public Safety; Houston Police Department; Harris County Sherriff's Office; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; U.S. Marshals Service; U.S. Postal Inspection Service; Department of Transportation/IRS and Katy Police Department with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas leading the prosecution.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Casey N. MacDonald and Anibal J. Alaniz prosecuted the case. AUSAs Tyler Foster and Elizabeth Wyman handled the forfeiture matters.
Repeat smuggler sent to federal prison after illegal aliens found concealed inside tractorRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 53-year-old San Juan resident has been sentenced for transporting six illegal aliens, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.
Mario Trevino pleaded guilty Dec. 29, 2025.
U.S. District Judge David S. Morales has now ordered Trevino to serve 33 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence detailing how the illegal aliens were transported in a confined space and that at least one expressed concern for their safety. The court also heard about Trevino’s prior attempts to evade law enforcement. In handing down the sentence, the court noted his criminal history, which included possession with intent to distribute meth, evading arrest and a prior conviction for smuggling illegal aliens.
On Oct. 28, 2025, Trevino drove a tractor trailer to the Border Patrol checkpoint near Sarita. He claimed the trailer was empty, and he was heading to pick up a load.
Law enforcement conducted a search of the vehicle where they observed six illegal aliens concealed in the sleeper area. Some were hidden underneath a blanket, while others hid in a cabinet.
The illegal aliens reported they had illegally entered the United States and were transported through multiple locations in the Rio Grande Valley before being directed to enter the tractor-trailer. They further stated Trevino instructed them to remain hidden and not move.
Trevino has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Border Patrol conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Izaak Bruce prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Alice man gets over 22 years for shipping meth from Mexico in clay bricksRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 35-year-old Alice resident has been ordered to federal prison for his role in receiving meth using a commercial carrier service, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.
Scott Garza pleaded guilty Dec. 30, 2025, to knowingly and intentionally possessing meth with the intent to distribute it.
U.S. District Judge David S. Morales has now ordered Garza to serve 265 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by five years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard evidence about the abandoned, boarded-up house where the box of drugs was delivered and the firearm Garza had in his possession at the time. In handing down the sentence, Judge Morales noted that although Garza may have been a low-level dealer before this offense, he graduated to the next by participating in this crime.
On Aug. 7, 2025, law enforcement identified an international package shipped from Mexico and destined for an address in Alice. An X-ray examination and K-9 alert resulted in the discovery of 10 clay bricks. Each brick contained meth mixed within the clay material.
The investigation led to Garza, who had travelled to the abandoned house to pick up the package which he later opened at his home.
The drugs had a total weight of nearly eight kilograms with an estimated street value of $160,000.
Authorities conducted a search at his residence where they also found additional narcotics including distributable quantities of cocaine, meth, Xanax tablets, marijuana and synthetic marijuana as well as three firearms.
Previously on bond, Garza was taken into custody following the sentencing where he will remain pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Customs and Border Protection and Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with assistance of Texas Department of Public Safety and Jim Wells County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley A. Pruitt prosecuted the case.
Aggravated felon headed to federal prison for illegal reentryRead the Press Release
HOUSTON - A 61-year-old Mexican national has been sentenced for illegally re-entering the United States after removal, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.
Jose Antonio Villegas-Herrera pleaded guilty July 16, 2024.
U.S. District Judge Charles R. Eskridge has imposed a 55-month-term of imprisonment. At the hearing, the court heard about Herrera’s criminal history which included a federal felony conviction of possession with intent to distribute cocaine for which he was ordered to serve 55 months in prison. In imposing this sentence, the court noted Herrera had cut off his ankle monitor and fled prior to the hearing.
He was removed from the country in 2007. However, authorities discovered him in Houston July 28, 2022, with no authorization to be in the United States.
He has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prison facility to be determined in the near future.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Enforcement and Removal Operations conducted the investigation. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Robin Whitney prosecuted the case.
Spring resident sent to prison for over 13 years after distributing child sexual abuse materialRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 41-year-old area man has been ordered to federal prison for multiple child pornography convictions, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.
Joshua Jerome Finney pleaded guilty Jan. 5.
U.S. District Judge Lee H. Rosenthal has now imposed a total 160-month-term of imprisonment – 160, 160 and 120 months for the respective counts of distribution, receipt and possession of child pornography to be served concurrently. At the hearing, the court heard and considered additional evidence regarding the lifelong damage Finney caused to the minor victims and how he encouraged further abuse for his pleasure.
Finney was further ordered to pay restitution and will serve 10 years on supervised release following completing of his prison term. During that time, he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to the internet.
In December 2023, authorities discovered child sexual abuse material on a dark web forum.
The investigation eventually led to Finney who had been communicating with others. In some of the text messages, Finney discussed having sex with minors and received several CSAM images and videos.
A search warrant at Finney’s residence resulted in the seizure of his cell phone. Forensic examination ultimately uncovered 178 images and 260 videos depicting CSAM. The material depicted children under the age of 12, sadistic or masochistic conduct, bestiality and acts of violence such as the penetration of the minors.
Communication on that device also showed he was receiving and distributing child pornography with other individuals through his Telegram account.
Finney has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
FBI - Houston conducted the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren Valenti and Kimberly Leo are prosecuting the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page. For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources tab on that page.
Corpus Christi resident admits to producing child sexual child abuse material involving toddlerRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 31-year-old local man has entered a guilty plea to production of child pornography, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.
The investigation into Troy Vasquez began after law enforcement discovered he had been uploading child pornography over the internet. They executed a search warrant at his home where they discovered child sexual abuse material he had created the day before the search.
A forensic examination of his phone uncovered another video Vasquez recorded two days after Christmas 2024. In it, he is encouraging a three-year-old child to perform sexual acts.
U.S. District Judge David Morales will impose sentencing June 20. At that time, Vasquez faces up to 30 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
He has been and will remain in custody pending that hearing
Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Corpus Christi Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Overman prosecuted the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page. For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources tab on that page.
“Ghost preparer” pleads guilty for role in tax return schemeRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A local woman has admitted to aiding or assisting in the preparation of false tax returns, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.
From 2017 to 2023, Jamie Nevid Wallace owned Donahue Tax Service and operated as a “ghost preparer” to conceal her involvement in the scheme. As such, she made it seem that clients were filing their own returns without the assistance of anyone else. Wallace was required to obtain and use a Provider Tax Identification Number on any returns she prepared but instead concealed her role by creating accounts for her clients using tax preparation software.
Wallace prepared false tax returns that included fraudulent Schedule A deductions and Schedule C business and education credits, which generated refunds her clients should not have received. She also charged fees for those returns.
As part of her plea, she admitted to filing a false 2021 income tax return that included $68,453 in false Schedule A deductions, $36,852 in false Schedule C losses for a business that did not exist and a false education credit showing expenses supposedly paid to a local university. These false entries resulted in $18,075 in tax loss.
Wallace has admitted responsibility for $244,824 in losses to the IRS and has agreed to pay that amount in restitution.
U.S. District Judge Alfred H. Bennett will impose sentencing June 25. At that time, Wallace faces up to three years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
She was permitted to remain on bond pending that hearing.
IRS Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brad Gray is prosecuting the case.
Alleged murderer and multiple repeat felons among those prosecuted as part of Operation Take Back America effortsRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A total of 439 new cases have been filed against 440 individuals in immigration and border security matters from March 20-26, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.
The Southern District of Texas filed 187 criminal complaints for illegal entry, while another 236 people face charges of felony reentry after prior removal. Most of those individuals have prior felony convictions, including narcotics, violent crime, immigration offenses and more. The cases also include charges against 12 people allegedly involved in human smuggling. The remaining cases involve other immigration crimes and firearms.
Six of those charged were allegedly found in and around the McAllen area this week. According to one criminal complaint, authorities discovered Honduran national Jose Roberto Serrano-Miranda near Relampago even though he had been removed from the United States in September 2025. The charges allege he has prior convictions for domestic assault bodily injury and aggravated assault strangulation.
Five others are all allegedly from Mexico. The criminal complaint alleges Ruben Davila-Trujillo and Daniel Eduardo Munoz-Najar were just removed in January and February, respectively, while Jose Manuel Gomez-Jimenez and Loreto Hernandez De Loera had both been ordered removed from the country in June 2025. With the exception of De Loera, who has multiple convictions for driving under the influence and a felony driving while intoxicated, each has prior convictions for various drug offenses, according to the allegations. Ricardo Josue Gutierrez had also allegedly been previously removed. His charges allege he has a prior conviction for transportation or harboring of illegal aliens.
If convicted of illegal reentry, all six face up to 20 years in federal prison.
In addition to the new cases, a man known as “Two-Face” was ordered to serve 180 months for being an illegal alien in possession of a weapon linked to the shooting death of a local woman. Savin Seng is an admitted gang member from Cambodia and illegally resided in Victoria.
On Oct. 3, 2025, an incident occurred at a residence in the Telferner community outside Victoria, where authorities found a female victim deceased from a gunshot wound to the head. The shooter had left his cell phone and fled the scene.
An image on the phone showed Seng holding a Glock pistol with an extended magazine. A witness had also identified him as the murder suspect.
Law enforcement located Seng less than a mile from the scene of the shooting and took him into custody. At the time of his arrest, he had a loaded Glock 17, 9mm pistol in his shorts along with a loaded 31-round extended magazine.
Seng had illegally entered the United States as a child from Cambodia and never held lawful immigration status in the country. Court documents allege he had been ordered removed as an aggravated felon in April 2016 but had not been physically removed. He has been in custody in California, Georgia and Louisiana, according to court records, and had an active arrest warrant from 2022 for another homicide in Los Angeles, California.
Seng admitted he possessed many guns while remaining in the United States illegally.
These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations, ICE - Enforcement and Removal Operations, Border Patrol, Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI, U.S. Marshals Service and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with additional assistance from state and local law enforcement partners.
The cases are all part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Under current leadership, public safety and a secure border are the top priorities for this district. Enhanced enforcement both at the border and in the interior of the district have yielded aliens engaged in unlawful activity or with serious criminal histories, including convictions for human trafficking, sexual assault and violence against children.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas remains one of the busiest in the nation. It represents 43 counties and more than nine million people covering 44,000 square miles. Assistant U.S. Attorneys from all seven divisions including Houston, Galveston, Victoria, Corpus Christi, Brownsville, McAllen and Laredo work directly with our law enforcement partners on the federal, state and local levels to prosecute the suspected offenders of these and other federal crimes.
An indictment or criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
Jury convicts Houston man in relation to fatal fast-food restaurant shooting with machine gunRead the Press Release
HOUSTON - A 27-year-old local resident has been convicted of possession of a machine gun, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.
A federal jury sitting in Houston deliberated for approximately three hours before convicting Tyler John Jordan following a three-day trial.
The case involved a deadly shooting that occurred March 16, 2025, at the McDonalds located on North Fry Road in Katy.
The jury heard evidence that Jordan and others entered the restaurant intending to start a fight with another group of individuals. During the altercation, multiple bullets were fired into the crowded lobby from a Glock pistol that was equipped with a machinegun conversion device, commonly known as a switch. One of the bullets struck and killed a 61-year-old innocent bystander.
The investigation revealed a video on Jordan’s phone showing him holding the weapon approximately five hours before it was used in the shooting.
A crime scene investigator and other law enforcement officers testified about how Jordan had attempted to lie numerous times throughout the case. The jury saw evidence that Jordan was a gun fanatic and heard he had previously admitted to possessing the firearm and knowing it was a machine gun.
However, the defense attempted to convince the jury Jordan was not aware the gun was equipped with a switch and that his confession was false. The jury did not believe those claims and found him guilty as charged.
U.S. District Judge Alfred Bennett presided over trial and set sentencing for June 25. At that time, Jordan faces up to 10 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
He has been and will remain in custody pending that hearing.
Harris County Sheriff’s Office and FBI conducted the investigation with the assistance of Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives as well as Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anh-Khoa Tran and Charles Hagerman are prosecuting the case.
Nigerian citizen sentenced for his role in a multimillion-dollar wire fraud schemeRead the Press Release
HOUSTON - A 26-year-old man who was in the United States on a Green Card has been sentenced for laundering fraud proceeds through an unlicensed money transmitting business, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.
Ayobami Omoniyi pleaded guilty Aug. 19, 2024.
U.S. District Judge Andrew S. Hanen has now ordered Omoniyi to serve 32 months in federal prison and pay $202,273.80 in restitution. Not a U.S. citizen, he is expected to be removed from the country following his imprisonment. At the hearing, the court heard additional information that Omoniyi had been committing crimes since arriving in the United States and that he had been a recruiter for the scheme.
In 2021, Omoniyi and others operated an unlicensed money transmitting business that received and transferred funds from business email compromise victims, including a fishing company in Australia. Victims received spoofed emails that appeared to come from legitimate businesses and were tricked into sending payments to accounts conspirators controlled.
As part of his plea, Omoniyi admitted he moved money through multiple bank accounts. The funds originated from fraudsters involved in a business email compromise wire fraud scheme.
Omoniyi also acknowledged receiving victims’ funds and, for a fee, transmitting the fraud proceeds to others.
He has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the hear future.
FBI-Bryan Resident Agency and Houston Police Department conducted the investigation with assistance from the Australian Federal Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Belinda Beek prosecuted the case.
Illegal alien gang member accused of multiple murders gets maximum sentence for federal firearms crimeRead the Press Release
VICTORIA, Texas – A 41-year-old illegal alien from Cambodia has been ordered to federal prison for unlawfully possessing a weapon linked to a fatal shooting, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.
Savin Seng aka “Two-Face” pleaded guilty Nov. 18, 2025.
U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos has now ordered him to serve 180 months in federal prison. Not a U.S. citizen, he is expected to face removal proceedings following the sentence.
On Oct. 3, 2025, an incident occurred at a residence in the Telferner community outside Victoria, where authorities found a female victim deceased from a gunshot wound to the head. The shooter had left his cell phone and fled the scene.
An image on the phone showed Seng holding a Glock pistol with an extended magazine. A witness had also identified him as the murder suspect.
Law enforcement located Seng less than a mile from the scene of the shooting and took him into custody. At the time of his arrest, he had a loaded Glock 17, 9mm pistol in his shorts along with a loaded 31-round extended magazine.
Seng had illegally entered the United States as a child from Cambodia and never held lawful immigration status in the country. Court documents allege he had been ordered removed as an aggravated felon in April 2016 but had not been physically removed. He has been in custody in California, Georgia and Louisiana, according to court records, and had an active arrest warrant from 2022 for another homicide in Los Angeles, California.
Seng admitted he possessed multiple guns while remaining in the United States illegally.
The case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Houston residents get over 13 years following discovery of over 130 kilos of crystal methRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – Two local men have been ordered to federal prison for conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute meth, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.
The jury deliberated for less than an hour before finding Edgar Prudencio Ruiz, 24, and Damian Lee Gutierrez, 24, guilty Nov. 18, 2025, following a two-day trial.
U.S. District Judge Andrew S. Hanen has now imposed a 162-month term of imprisonment for both men. They must also serve five years of supervised release following their sentences. At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence the meth was imported from Mexico and that the two men had been in contact with others regarding price and delivery. The court also considered information about their involvement in prior shootings and carrying loaded firearms during the drug transactions. In handing down the prison terms, Judge Hanen noted the extremely large amount of pure meth involved in the case.
At trial, the jury heard that Guiterrez and Ruiz had delivered five kilograms of meth to an undercover officer June 17, 2025. Authorities subsequently followed the men as they entered an apartment. Both men later exited the residence with Ruiz carrying a box which he placed in the backseat of a Toyota Tacoma. Guiterrez and Ruiz left in the vehicle, after which law enforcement conducted a traffic stop, and a K-9 alerted to the left passenger door.
Authorities discovered the box in the truck contained 10 gallon-sized bags filled with crystal meth. They also found two loaded 9mm pistols. One was near the ignition, while the other - with an extended magazine - was under the front passenger seat.
Testimony further revealed Gutierrez believed the bags contained meth and admitted he had additional quantities at his residence.
Authorities executed a search warrant and seized approximately 122 more gallon-sized bags of crystal meth from the residence, each weighing approximately one kilogram.
In total, they discovered approximately 137 bags totaling nearly 133 kilograms of actual meth with an estimated street value of over $200,000.
The defense cited lack of fingerprint evidence and attempted to convince the jury the men did not actually possess the drugs. They did not believe the claims and found Gutierrez and Ruiz guilty as charged.
Both will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation with the assistance of Harris County Precinct 3 Constable’s Office, police departments in Houston, Pasadena, Stafford and La Porte as well as Harris County Sherrif’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer B. Lowery and Eric Smith prosecuted the case.
Illegal alien and several valley residents arrested in spring break operation for attempting to meet with minors for sexRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas - Six South Texas men have been charged with attempted coercion and enticement of a minor, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.
Authorities took Porfirio Palacios, 46, San Juan; Ricardo De La Rosa, 54, Pharr; Colin Alexander McLean, 21, McAllen; Antonio Basaldua Rocha, 23, Edinburg; Henry Martinez Lopez, 53, Rio Grande City; and Honduran national Anael Jossue Rodriguez-Rodas, 35, who illegally resided in Donna, into custody during enforcement actions this week.
McLean, Lopez and Rodriguez-Rodas are expected to make their initial appearances before U.S. Magistrate Judge Juan F. Alanis at 9 a.m. De La Rosa and Rocha are expected to appear March 23. Palacios has already made his initial appearance and is set for a probable cause and detention hearing March 23 at 2 p.m.
All are charged in separate, but related and similar criminal complaints that detail an undercover chat operation from March 17-19. The six men allegedly believed they were communicating with a 16-year-old minor female via various online social media applications. The charges allege the conversations discussed engaging in sexual activities.
According to the complaints, the men enticed the “minor female” to meet up with them in order to have sex. The charges allege each man went to the arranged place at the discussed time and waited for the girl to arrive.
If convicted, all six face a mandatory minimum of 10 years up to life in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with assistance of Edinburg Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys M. Alexis Garcia, Sarina S. DiPiazza and Alexa D. Parcell are prosecuting the cases which were brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page. For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources tab on that page.
A criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
Former professor guilty in student financial aid fraud schemeRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 43-year-old Richmond resident has admitted to theft of government funds, fraud, unlawful use or transfer of identity documents and aggravated identity theft in an extensive scam involving hundreds of fraudulent financial aid applications, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.
For approximately five years, Emmanuel Finnih submitted over 100 false applications for financial aid to the Department of Education for numerous straw students across several colleges and universities in Texas.
Finnih, who worked as a professor at a local university, used the personal identifiers of other individuals to prepare, submit and sign false and fraudulent financial aid applications and master promissory notes in their names. In furtherance of his scheme, Finnih utilized mailing addresses, telephone numbers and email accounts he controlled to ensure ED and colleges would send any communications directly to him. He then obtained the financial aid refunds via electronic transfer, check and prepaid debit cards sent either to mailing addresses or bank accounts he designated and controlled.
Finnih further admitted to the aggravated identity theft of two victims whose personal identifiers had been repeatedly used to apply for and obtain federal financial aid over the course of several years. He also acknowledged he was fraudulently in possession of false identity documents - temporary driver permits and identification cards - with the intent to unlawfully use or transfer those documents in furtherance of the fraud scheme.
Some victims had tens of thousands of dollars in loans in their name, and the fraudulent applications significantly impacted their credit.
The scheme also caused at least $600,000 in losses to the United States.
“Finnih spent years stealing victims’ identities and defrauding the federal government—today, he stood in court and admitted exactly that,” said Marck. “In the Southern District of Texas, fraud against the American taxpayer is not a financial strategy—it is a path to federal prison.”
“Federal student aid exists so that individuals can make their dream of a higher education a reality. Ensuring that those who steal student aid are stopped and held accountable for their criminal actions is a big part of our mission,” said Special Agent in Charge John Woolley of ED - Office of Inspector General’s Central Regional Office. “I’m proud of the work of the Office of Inspector General and our law enforcement partners for their work in this case and we will continue to work together to stop those who steal Federal education funds. America’s students and taxpayers deserve nothing less.”
U.S. District Judge Andrew Hanen will impose sentencing June 22. At that time, Finnih faces up to 10 years in federal prison for theft of government funds, while the student financial aid fraud and unlawful use or transfer identity documents each carries a possible five-year prison term. He will also be ordered to serve a mandatory two years for aggravated identity theft which must be served consecutively to any other sentence imposed. In addition, Finnih could be ordered to pay up to $250,000 in fines for each count and restitution.
Finnih was permitted to remain on bond pending his sentencing hearing.
ED – OIG conducted the investigation with assistance from Lone Star College Police Department, U.S. Marshals Service and U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Shirin Hakimzadeh and Brad R. Gray prosecuted the case.
Another significant week in support of Operation Take Back America: SDTX charges 373 more as part of ongoing border enforcement actionsRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – The Southern District of Texas has filed 371 cases in immigration and related matters from March 13-19, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.
A total of 22 people are charged with human smuggling crimes. Another 141 criminal complaints allege instances of illegal entry, while 204 people face charges of felony reentry after prior removal. Most of those individuals have prior felonies such as narcotics, violent crime, immigration crimes and more. The remaining six cases involve firearms charges and other immigration crimes.
Two charged in recent days are Mexican nationals with felony criminal histories to include injury to a child or the elderly, or aggravated assault, according to the allegations. Ivis Anibal Olvera-Moreno and Carlos Alberto Chairez-Estala had allegedly been removed July 11 and July 19, 2025, according to their respective charges. However, law enforcement allegedly discovered them in the McAllen area without authorization to be in the United States.
Authorities found another foreign national from Mexico near Donna, despite also having been previously removed within the past year. The criminal complaint alleges Daniel Davalos-Ayala has multiple prior convictions for illegal reentry, possession with intent to distribute and unauthorized use of a vehicle.
Another case alleges Jorge Armando Pineda-Samaniego, Mexico, has a prior conviction for illegal reentry and was previously removed May 9, 2018. Authorities allegedly discovered him again near Edinburg.
All four are charged with felony reentry after removal and face up to 20 years in federal prison, if convicted.
In addition to the new cases, Mexican national Fernando Ramirez-Noria was ordered to serve 84 months in federal prison for his illegal reentry conviction. The court considered his criminal history while unlawfully present in the United States, including convictions for domestic violence, driving while intoxicated and illegal reentry. Authorities first removed him in January 2015, but he repeatedly returned. Law enforcement found him again in the country following a 2023 DWI arrest.
In Houston, Jose Rosario Belmontes-Lira pleaded guilty and was sentenced for unlawful reentry into the United States. He has prior convictions for burglary, driving while intoxicated and illegal reentry. Law enforcement discovered him in January in Houston without authorization to be in the country. Also sentenced was Honduran national Alex Ramon Reyes. He has prior convictions for possession of a controlled substance, theft and human smuggling.
These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations, ICE - Enforcement and Removal Operations, Border Patrol, Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI, U.S. Marshals Service and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with additional assistance from state and local law enforcement partners.
The cases are all part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Under current leadership, public safety and a secure border are the top priorities for this district. Enhanced enforcement both at the border and in the interior of the district have yielded aliens engaged in unlawful activity or with serious criminal histories, including convictions for human trafficking, sexual assault and violence against children.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas remains one of the busiest in the nation. It represents 43 counties and more than nine million people covering 44,000 square miles. Assistant U.S. Attorneys from all seven divisions including Houston, Galveston, Victoria, Corpus Christi, Brownsville, McAllen and Laredo work directly with our law enforcement partners on the federal, state and local levels to prosecute the suspected offenders of these and other federal crimes.
An indictment or criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
Repeat felon sent to prison following discovery of weapons in vehicle while unconscious in driver’s seatRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 34-year-old Houston resident has been ordered to federal prison for illegal possession of a firearm, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.
Chase Langston Wiatt pleaded guilty Sept. 25, 2025.
U.S. District Judge Lee H. Rosenthal has now ordered Wiatt to serve 92 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard about Wiatt’s prior convictions and arrests involving the possession and use of a firearm. In handing down the sentence, the court noted his extensive criminal history and prior violence.
On Oct. 28, 2021, law enforcement responded to a call regarding an unconscious driver in a vehicle. They arrived and found Wiatt unresponsive in the driver’s seat with the vehicle in drive.
Authorities noted Wiatt had bloodshot eyes and slurred speech. He admitted to consuming a cannabis edible prior to operating the vehicle.
A search of the vehicle led to the discovery of two pistols - one located between the driver’s seat and center console and the other on the passenger seat.
The investigation revealed Wiatt had prior felony convictions for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, escape and credit card abuse. As such, he is prohibited from possessing firearms per federal law.
He has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation with the assistance of Houston Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Luis Batarse prosecuted the case.
Brownsville man sent to prison for over 10 years for producing sexually explicit videos of a minorRead the Press Release
BROWNSVILLE, Texas – A 77-year-old resident has been ordered to federal prison following the discovery of homemade videos depicting the sexual assault of a child, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.
Rosendo Camarillo-Jimenez pleaded guilty Sept. 30, 2025.
U.S. District Judge Fernando Rodriguez Jr. has now ordered Camarillo to serve 121 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. During that time, he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the internet. Camarillo will also be ordered to register as a sex offender. Restitution will be determined at a later date.
In January 2024, authorities discovered Rosendo Camarillo-Jimemez had been sexually assaulting children for years.
The investigation led to the execution of a search warrant at his residence where law enforcement found homemade videos of Camarillo-Jimemez sexually assaulting a child. The videos were timestamped as created in 2003.
Camarillo will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations, Rio Grande Valley Child Exploitations Investigations Task Force conducted the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ana C. Cano prosecuted the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page. For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources tab on that page.
17 alleged gang members and associates charged with RICO conspiracy, murder and other violent crimesRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A federal grand jury has returned a superseding indictment involving the Homietos outlaw motorcycle gang, a criminal enterprise that allegedly controlled territory throughout the Houston area.
All 17 alleged gang members and associates are charged with racketeering conspiracy. Several also face allegations of racketeering murder, attempted murder and assault; and/or firearms offenses.
Ralph Eugene Kellum aka REK, 42, Vidor, is set to make his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Christina A. Bryan at 10 a.m. March 19, while Romeo Jose Ferrer aka Primo, 36, Kingsville, is expected to appear in Corpus Christi at 9:45 a.m. Mark Anthony Magallan aka Loco, 51, Houston, will have a detention hearing at 2 p.m. before Judge Bryan March 19. The remaining individuals have already made appearances in federal court in Houston or are expected to in the near future.
“The indictment alleges a pattern of violence, intimidation and murder to expand the reach of a criminal enterprise and settle scores on our streets and highways,” said Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck. “That kind of lawlessness has no place in the Southern District of Texas. Anyone who attempts to turn our roadways into battlegrounds should expect an aggressive federal response, and today we delivered on that commitment.”
“It’s not every day you get to disrupt and dismantle a criminal motorcycle gang driven by violence and intimidation, but with this morning’s arrests of four more Homietos alleged members and associates and their superseding indictment, today is that day,” announced Special Agent in Charge Jason Hudson, of the FBI Houston Field Office. “The charges are significant and are the long-awaited result of an extensive investigation fueled by the relentless pursuit for justice by our FBI Houston team and numerous federal, state, and local law enforcement partners. The Homietos outlaw motorcycle gang is no more.”
According to the charges, Homietos OMG was an organization engaged in crimes such as murder, robbery, narcotics distribution and witness intimidation. The gang allegedly formed in 2015 in the Houston area as an extension of the Tango Blast prison gang, then expanded beyond Houston and Texas. The group recruited members and associates, enforced rules, rewarded violence and used intimidation, threats and assaults to protect and enhance its power, territory, reputation and profits, according to the indictment. They also allegedly created a “Mexican Terror” patch to reward violence on behalf of the enterprise.
The superseding indictment, returned under seal March 11, also alleges overt acts in furtherance of the conspiracy including directives to engage in violence against rivals. Some of the allegations include a February 2020 shooting of a rival outlaw motorcycle gang member in Harris County, a September 2020 assault and robbery involving members of another motorcycle club at a Homietos anniversary party in Houston, an April 2022 shooting at suspected rivals along Interstate 45 near Madisonville and multiple April 14, 2023, shootings that allegedly resulted in the deaths of three rival gang members.
Ferrer, Magallan and Kellum along with Joe Frank Barrera aka LJ, 37, Houston, and Bryce Clay Hazleton Cook aka Cowboy, 28, Angleton, are all charged with engaging in a pattern of racketeering activity that included violent retaliation against members of rival gangs.
Ferrer, Magallan and Kellum also allegedly committed racketeering murder. In that instance on April 14, 2023, Homietos members traveling in a convoy on an interstate highway encountered members of the rival Bandidos motorcycle gang, according to the charges. Magallan allegedly shot and killed a Bandido member. The charges further allege that shortly thereafter, Ferrer and Kellum shot and killed two other Bandidos and wounded a third.
Others also charged in relation to the overall conspiracy with various offenses to include racketeering attempted murder, racketeering assault and/or using a firearm during violent crimes are Raymond William Burnett aka Ray Ray, 38, Alvin; Morgan Shane Cooper aka Coop, 51, William Espinoza, 49, Mario Humberto Gomez aka Gator, 52, Edgar Mauricio Hinojosa aka Charro Bean, 40, Ricardo Quinones aka Scooter, 40, and Moises Soriano aka Oso, 42, all of Houston; Rudolph Christopher Lopez aka Yao, 40, Fort Worth; Jesse James Mulrein aka Fort Worth G, 38, Dallas; Joe Rios aka Jo Daddy, 50, Baytown; Mahir Alihodzic aka Geno, 40, Kansas City, Kansas; and Christopher Daniel Holt aka Butt Head, 32, Harrah, Oklahoma.
If convicted of the racketeering conspiracy, each faces up to life imprisonment. The murder in aid of racketeering charges are punishable by a mandatory sentence of life in prison with the possibility of death. Those charged with assault in aid of racketeering, conspiracy to assault in aid of racketeering and attempted murder in aid of racketeering could receive up to 20, three and 10 years, respectively, upon conviction. The other related firearms and other offenses carry penalties ranging from 10 years to life in federal prison. Each count also carries a potential fine of up to $250,000.
FBI – Houston led the investigation along with Texas Department of Public Safety - Criminal Investigative Division, Texas Rangers and Highway Patrol, and Texas Board of Criminal Justice – Office of Inspector General with assistance of Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; sheriff’s offices in Montgomery, Harris and Leon counties; police departments in Huntsville, Madisonville, Fort Worth, Houston and Shenandoah, as well as Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; U.S. Marshals Service; and district attorney’s offices in Walker, Madison and Montgomery counties. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Keri L. Fuller and Byron H. Black are prosecuting the case along with Trial Attorney Ben Tonkin of the Justice Department’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section.
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
Mexican national gets seven years for illegally reentering the U.S.Read the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 44-year-old man who illegally resided in Houston has been ordered to federal prison for unlawfully reentering the country for the fifth time, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.
Fernando Ramirez-Noria pleaded guilty Aug. 12, 2025.
U.S. District Judge Charles R. Eskridge has now ordered Ramirez-Noria to serve 84 months in federal prison. Not a U.S. citizen, he is expected to face removal proceedings following his imprisonment. At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence about his criminal history while illegally present in the country.
Ramirez-Noria has previous convictions for domestic violence, driving while intoxicated and illegal reentry.
Law enforcement first removed Ramirez-Noria in January 2015, and he repeatedly returned. He was last removed in June 2020, but authorities discovered he was again unlawfully in the United States following his DWI arrest in 2023.
He has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Enforcement and Removal Operations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Luis Batarse prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Edinburg man gets 18 years for distributing child sexual abuse material to a minorRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas – A 36-year-old South Texas resident has been sent to prison after sexting with a young girl and sending child pornography involving minors as young as newborns, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.
Jaime Christian Flores pleaded guilty June 2, 2025.
U.S. District Judge Randy Crane has now imposed a 216-month federal prison term. At the hearing, the court heard from a victim via letter explaining how she feels scarred and traumatized and wanted the judge to make sure Flores doesn’t hurt anyone else. Flores was further ordered to pay $3,000 in restitution to each of 28 victims and will serve five years on supervised release following completion of his prison term. During that time, he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the internet. He will also be ordered to register as a sex offender.
In April 2024, authorities discovered Flores was part of an online group dedicated to sharing child sexual abuse material. He shared 30 images and one video of CSAM while in the chat room.
Flores later admitted to using his cellphone to download and distribute CSAM. He also stated he had been communicating with a 17-year-old minor for the past year and regularly sent CSAM and sexted with her. The investigation revealed Flores sent approximately 292 videos depicting minors ranging from newborn to 13 years of age engaged in sexual conduct or depicting their genital areas.
A forensic examination of Flores’s cellphone revealed a total of 7,647 images and 4,019 videos of CSAM.
Flores was permitted to remain on bond and voluntarily surrender to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney M. Alexis Garcia prosecuted the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page. For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources tab on that page.
Brooks County man convicted of meth traffickingRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 45-year-old Falfurrias resident has pleaded guilty to conducting multiple narcotics transactions in the Corpus Christi area, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.
The investigation into Rodolfo Alvarado began in March 2025. Authorities were able to extract numerous text messages and financial transactions that indicated widespread drug trafficking. In the following months, law enforcement conducted controlled buys from Alvarado and other co-conspirators.
On Aug. 8, 2025, authorities executed a search warrant at Alvarado’s residence and located items commonly used in narcotics distribution, including digital scales and plastic baggies. They also discovered a wooden board covering a hole in the ground beneath a shaded structure. Inside the hole, they located a plastic bag containing approximately 303.73 grams of meth.
U.S. District Judge David S. Morales will impose sentencing June 18. At that time, Alvarado faces up to 10 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
The Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Lamont and Ashley Pruitt are prosecuting the case.
Murder investigation leads to federal drug trafficking and firearms chargesRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 49-year-old Houston resident is now facing federal charges for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.
Johna Robinson has now been taken into federal custody.
He is set to make his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Christina A. Bryan March 16.
According to allegations in the criminal complaint filed under seal Feb. 27 and unsealed upon the arrest of Robinson, authorities were conducting a murder investigation Feb. 24 at a Houston apartment complex where a victim was found shot to death. Per the criminal complaint, a vehicle linked to Robinson had been used in the shooting.
Law enforcement located Robinson at a nearby residence and observed him entering and exiting the location several times before departing in a different vehicle, according to the complaint. Court documents show authorities conducted a stop after Robinson committed a traffic violation. At that time, they allegedly discovered a loaded Taurus .38-caliber revolver in his waistband.
The criminal complaint further alleges Robinson has prior federal convictions for conspiracy to distribute controlled substances in the Northern District of Florida and conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine in the Southern District of Texas. As a convicted felon, he is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition per federal law, according to court documents.
The investigation also revealed law enforcement had allegedly encountered Robinson during a traffic stop in July 2025. Robinson fled the scene, but authorities soon took him into custody, according to the charging document. A search of his vehicle allegedly yielded a plastic bag in the rear passenger floorboard area containing 972.8 grams of methamphetamine.
The criminal complaint states that the drugs were intended to be used to press pills, a method commonly associated with the manufacture of counterfeit pharmaceuticals. Authorities also allegedly discovered communications involving Robinson related to drug trafficking.
If convicted, Robinson faces up to life in federal prison if convicted of the drug offense with a mandatory minimum of 25 years and a possible $20 million maximum fine. He could also receive up to 15 years and a possible $250,000 maximum fine on the firearm charge.
The FBI conducted the investigation with the assistance of Houston Police Department; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; and Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorney Byron H. Black is prosecuting the case.
A criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
Drug trafficking leader to serve 25 years for multi-state fentanyl and methamphetamine operationRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 43-year-old Conroe man has been sentenced to federal prison for his role in operating a fentanyl-laced pill distribution network, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.
Johnny Quoc Tran pleaded guilty Oct. 19, 2023.
Senior U.S. District Judge Sim Lake has now ordered Tran to serve 300 months in federal prison, to be immediately followed by five years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence detailing Tran’s leadership role in a drug trafficking organization responsible for manufacturing and distributing fentanyl and methamphetamine-laced pills. Tran distributed the narcotics through members of the organization, including Devon Williams who acted as a courier.
In imposing the sentence, Judge Lake determined Tran led a large, well-organized drug trafficking organization and was involved at every level of the operation. The court also noted Tran distributed thousands of fentanyl pills and emphasized fentanyl is a deadly poison.
The investigation began in March 2019 when authorities identified a Houston-based drug trafficking organization with additional operations in Dallas, Oklahoma, and Louisiana. Authorities determined Tran led the organization and operated a pill press laboratory out of an auto repair shop.
His wife, Amber Logston, assisted him by maintaining drug ledgers and concealing drug trafficking proceeds through financial transactions.
On Nov. 21, 2019, authorities executed a search warrant at Tran’s residence and auto shop. They seized approximately 180 kilograms of fentanyl-laced pills and fentanyl powder, more than 90 kilograms of methamphetamine laced pills, four pill press machines and other equipment used to manufacture and distribute narcotics.
Williams, 46, Houston, and Logston, 44, Conroe, also pleaded guilty for their roles in the case and have now been sentenced to federal prison.
Tran has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The Texas Department of Public Safety’s Criminal Investigations Division, Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI, Houston Police Department, IRS Criminal Investigation and Harris County Constable’s Office Precinct 4 conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jimmy Leo prosecuted the case.
This investigation and prosecution is now part of the Homeland Security Task Force initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of U.S. law enforcement towards identifying, investigating and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes these organizations commit, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Houston comprises agents and officers from Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Homeland Security investigations; DEA; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; U.S. Marshals Service; U.S. Postal Inspection Service; Department of Transportation/IRS; Interpol/Department of State and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas leading the prosecution.
Another week of border enforcement results in 461 people chargedRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A total of 459 cases have been filed in immigration and related matters from March 6-12, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.
The Southern District filed 193 criminal complaints for illegal entry, while another 235 people face charges of felony reentry after prior removal. Most of those individuals have prior felony convictions, including narcotics offenses, violent crimes, and immigration-related offenses. The cases also include charges against 26 people allegedly involved in human smuggling. The remaining seven cases filed this week involve other immigration crimes.
Among the new cases are three men from distinct countries, all charged with felony reentry after removal.
Authorities allegedly found El Salvadoran national Josue Alberto Villalobos-Bonilla and Honduran national Brayan Arman Hernandez-Mendez near La Grulla without legal authorization to be in the United States. According to the criminal complaints, both had previously been removed July 25 and July 26, 2025, respectively. Villalobos-Bonilla has a prior conviction for sexual solicitation of a minor, while Hernandez-Mendez has prior convictions for illegal reentry and evading arrest.
Law enforcement also allegedly discovered Mexican national Juan Barrientos-Soto near San Juan after he had been removed Dec. 24, 2025. Court records reflect prior convictions for illegal reentry, theft of property and assault.
Another defendant charged in a separate case is Mexican national Jordan Velasco-Martinez. The criminal complaint alleges he attempted to unlawfully reenter the United States within two months of his most recent removal. According to the complaint, authorities removed him Feb. 1. The charges also allege Velasco-Martinez has prior convictions for felony driving while intoxicated and illegal reentry. Law enforcement allegedly discovered him near Roma without legal authorization to be in the United States.
All face up to 20 years in prison, if convicted.
In addition to the new cases, in Corpus Christi the ringleader of a human smuggling organization received a 36-month federal prison sentence. From October 2024 to May 2025, Hugo Jimenez Jr. oversaw numerous alien smuggling operations throughout South Texas. He conspired with others to transport illegal aliens further into the United States and recruited local drivers to conceal them in vehicle cargo areas areas to circumvent Border Patrol checkpoints. Jimenez also scouted checkpoints in advance and coordinated rendezvous points north of inspection sites. At times, he personally transported the illegal aliens to San Antonio and Houston.
Several others also received federal prison sentences in Houston for illegal reentry, including Mexican nationals Edgar Jaramillo-Escobar, Jose Guadalupe Mendoza-Cabrera and Faustino Rosales-Hernandez. Each has prior felony convictions including illegal reentry, driving under the influence of alcohol, family violence assault and assault causing bodily injury.
Mexican national Jose Mario Cervantes-Luna was also ordered to federal prison for illegally reentering the country. He has prior convictions for illegal reentry, driving while intoxicated and sexual assault of a minor. Authorities previously removed him in 2004, 2011 and three times in 2012.
In another case, Sergio Benavides-Melgar pleaded guilty to illegal reentry after law enforcement discovered him illegally present in the United States after being removed. According to court records, he has prior convictions for illegal reentry as well as aggravated sexual assault of a child and indecency with a child.
These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations, ICE - Enforcement and Removal Operations, Border Patrol, Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI, U.S. Marshals Service and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with additional assistance from state and local law enforcement partners.
The cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Under current leadership, public safety and a secure border are the top priorities for this district. Enhanced enforcement both at the border and in the interior of the district have yielded aliens engaged in unlawful activity or with serious criminal histories, including convictions for human trafficking, sexual assault and violence against children.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas remains one of the busiest in the nation. It represents 43 counties and more than nine million people covering 44,000 square miles. Assistant U.S. Attorneys from all seven divisions including Houston, Galveston, Victoria, Corpus Christi, Brownsville, McAllen and Laredo work directly with our law enforcement partners on the federal, state and local levels to prosecute the suspected offenders of these and other federal crimes.
An indictment or criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.