Southern District of Texas

HOUSTON – Another 260 people face federal charges for immigration and border security-related crimes from Oct. 2-8.

A total of 177 criminal complaints involved felony reentry after prior removal, while another 41 people face charges of illegal entry. Most of those charged have prior felony convictions involving narcotics, violent crimes, and immigration offenses. In addition, 37 people face human smuggling charges, including 13 illegal aliens. The remaining five cases filed this week involve other immigration crimes and firearms charges. 

One of those charged with felony reentry is Orlando Rene Flores-Orellana, a Guatemalan national whom law enforcement allegedly discovered unlawfully in the country near Peñitas despite his March 3 removal. According to the criminal complaint, he has a prior conviction for firearm possession.

Law enforcement also discovered Jose Manuel Fernandez-Martinez near Pharr after his removal March 11, 2022. Court records reflect a prior conviction for manufacturing and delivering of cocaine. 

Both face up to 20 years in prison if convicted.

In addition to the new cases, Honduran national Eliseo Henriquez‑Joya aka Cheyo, received a 72‑month prison sentence for conspiring to transport illegal aliens. Authorities identified him as a leader who coordinated the smuggling of approximately 188 illegal aliens in box trucks, refrigerated trucks, and tractor‑trailers. 

During the investigation, authorities stopped vehicles at checkpoints and discovered hidden compartments and false walls that concealed individuals in spaces with little or no ventilation, no air conditioning, and no means of escape.

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, as well as the 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 immigrants, 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 the Southern 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.

HOUSTON – A federal grand jury has indicted six alleged YNS gang members and affiliates, while 10 other face charges in federal criminal complaints.

A total of 16 alleged gang members and affiliates face charges of conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute cocaine, attempted possession with intent to distribute cocaine, conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery, and using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime.

Jocquez Frye, 18; Darrell Sampson, 18; Jacob Barrett, 18; Kristian Winters, 18; Jaquan McClendon, 19; Triwayne Davison, 20; Donfarius Holmes, 24; Haven Duncan, 29; Jason Pittman, 34; Ledanyan Bennett, 19; Alex Davison, 32; Monterio Whitfield, 30; William Nolan-Waddell, 34; Javonte Hoyle, 28; Will Clark, 28; and Xzaveon Francis, 28, all of Houston, have made their initial appearances in federal court.

Frye, Sampson, Barrett, Winters, McClendon, and Triwayne Davison appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Dena Palermo Sept. 28. The court ordered them to remain in custody pending further criminal proceedings. 

During the detention hearing, the court heard that YNS is a violent gang operating in Houston’s Greenspoint area and allegedly involved in homicides, assaults, home invasions, vehicle burglaries, and drug and firearms trafficking. The court also heard that authorities linked Frye to the Jan. 4 armed carjacking of a former Houston Texans player at his home. 

The court reviewed social media posts and videos depicting alleged YNS members displaying firearms equipped with machinegun conversion devices, assaulting a rival gang member, and intimidating rivals outside their residences. The court also heard that the weapons posed a danger to innocent bystanders and that the alleged activities could provoke retaliatory violence in the Greenspoint area. 

Social media posts and messages introduced into evidence allegedly showed members discussing past and planned violent crimes, firearms trafficking, and threats against rival gangs and groups.

The court also heard that YNS members allegedly planned to rob what they believed was a drug stash house containing 42 kilograms of cocaine. On July 23, several members met with a confidential informant before traveling to the location carrying firearms and wearing black clothing, masks, and gloves, according to the allegations. 

Sampson, Barrett, and Winters allegedly planned a separate armed robbery at the time of their Sept. 23 arrests. The three allegedly intended to rob an individual at gunpoint following what they believed would be a large-scale cocaine transaction. 

Holmes, Duncan, Pittman, Bennett, Alex Davison, Whitfield, Nolan-Waddell, Hoyle, Clark and Francis appeared before Judge Palermo for detention hearings Sept. 29-30.

During those hearings, the court heard that the defendants allegedly conspired to transport what they believed was 50 kilograms of cocaine to a buyer before robbing the individual following the delivery. At the time of their arrests, authorities discovered firearms, zip ties, and gloves in their possession. 

If convicted, all 16 YNS members face up to life in prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.

FBI Houston and the Houston Police Department conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Texas Department of Public Safety, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and U.S. Marshals Service.  

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sebastian Edwards and Samuel Blackington 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.

HOUSTON – A 35-year-old Houston resident will serve federal prison time for illegally transmitting proceeds from an email scam.

Edikan Adiakpan pleaded guilty May 12.

U.S. District Judge Andrew Hanen ordered Adiakpan to serve 30 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard evidence that from 2020 to 2022, Adiakpan used “Akama Lifestyle,” a company he controlled and advertised as a luxury car service, to transfer funds for others. He kept a percentage of transferred funds as a fee.

At the time of his arrest, Adiakpan had temporary legal status to be in the United States, but is originally from Nigeria. 

The funds Adiakpan received and transmitted originated from fraudsters who carried out a business email compromise scheme targeting more than 10 victims.  The fraudsters sent “spoofed” emails that appeared to come from known suppliers and creditors, tricking victims into sending payments to bank accounts the fraudsters controlled instead of the actual suppliers.

One victim, a small utility trailer company in Mississippi, provided a victim impact statement that was read at the sentencing hearing about the effect this fraud had on their company after they were deceived into wiring money they thought was to their trailer supplier, including $927,080 wired to the Houston fraudsters, who then sent portions of those proceeds to Adiakpan. Adiakpan deposited and redeemed several cashier’s checks payable to himself and his exotic car company that contained $359,000 of the victim’s money. 

Another Nigerian, Ayobami Omoniyi, 27, was sentenced March 24 to 32 months in federal prison for his role in the scheme.

FBI Houston and its Bryan Resident Agency and IRS Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Belinda Beek prosecuted the case.

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A federal jury has convicted a Lubbock woman of transporting an illegal alien through South Texas, while her mother previously pleaded guilty to the same offense.

The jury deliberated for approximately two hours before returning the guilty verdict against Charisma Vidal, 22, following a two‑day trial. Her mother, Darlene Vidal, 45, pleaded guilty prior to trial.

On June 30, Darlene Vidal drove a Dodge Caravan to the Falfurrias Border Patrol checkpoint with Charisma Vidal was the passenger.

At trial, the jury heard that during initial inspection, authorities noticed blankets covering the third-row seats and discovered an illegal alien concealed beneath them. Authorities determined he was a Mexican citizen without lawful immigration status in the United States.

Testimony revealed the women picked up the illegal alien from a house near McAllen earlier that day before stopping for gas and continuing toward the checkpoint. Before arriving, he hid beneath blankets in the back seat.

The defense attempted to convince the jury that Charisma Vidal believed her mother had picked up the illegal alien as part of her rideshare work and that she did not know he was unlawfully present in the United States. 

However, the jury saw cellphone evidence indicating he had paid Darlene Vidal for the trip and heard that the mother and daughter had traveled from Lubbock, spent the night in their van, and remained in McAllen for less than a day. The jury rejected the defense and found Charisma Vidal guilty as charged.

U.S. District Judge David S. Morales presided over the trial and set sentencing for Jan. 20, 2027. At that time, the Charisma Vidal faces up to 10 years in federal prison as well as a possible $250,000 maximum fine. She was permitted to remain on bond pending sentencing.

Customs and Border Protection conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Young Min Burkett and Joseph Griffith prosecuted the case.

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – Authorities have arrested 19 people following a long-term investigation into an alleged drug trafficking organization operating in Alice. 

All 19 are charged with conspiracy to distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine and more than 280 grams of crack cocaine.

Authorities arrested Joel Sanchez, 31; David Villagran Jr. aka Little Tinko, 34; Rene Villagran aka Chucho, 36; David Villagran Sr. aka Big Tinko, 51; Jose Romeo Sanchez aka Baby Joe, 37; Esteban Mata, 29; Matthew Cantu aka Fat Matt, 39; Sierra Watrin, 30; Jewel Watrin, 32; Joshua Rios, 44; Esiquio Juarez aka Zeke, 53; Richard Garza aka Blackie, 66; Christopher Johnson, 20; Jake Rangel, 28; Sierra Rodriguez, 23; Joel Flores, 52; David Cantu aka Pamfi, 39; Lucia Gonzalez, 34; and Cindy Gutierrez, 42. 

All have now made their initial appearances in federal court.

According to the charges, the organization operated primarily in the Alice area, where members allegedly distributed cocaine and crack cocaine from several residences.

The investigation began in March 2024 and identified members of the Villagran family and their associates as allegedly operating multiple drug distribution locations in and around Alice. 

The charges allege higher-ranking members pooled money to obtain kilogram quantities of cocaine from outside suppliers, including sources in Mexico, before supplying it to others for distribution.

Senior members of the organization allegedly used violence to control workers, including locking them inside trap houses and forcing them to distribute drugs through small openings in the doors.

According to court documents, authorities executed 11 search warrants throughout Alice and discovered more than 35 firearms, thousands of rounds of ammunition, cocaine, crack cocaine, nearly $100,000 in U.S. currency, drug ledgers, digital scales covered with drug residue, and other items associated with drug trafficking. 

If convicted, each faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life in federal prison.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Griffith is prosecuting the case.

This operation is 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 committed by these organizations, 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 South Texas comprises agents and officers from Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations; FBI; Drug Enforcement Administration; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; U.S. Marshals Service; U.S. Postal Inspection Service; Department of Transportation; IRS Criminal Investigation; 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.

An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law. 

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 28-year-old Corpus Christi resident has been found guilty of transporting illegal aliens.

The jury deliberated for approximately two hours before convicting Jose Manuel Gomez following a two-day trial.

On July 2, Gomez drove a white Ford F-250 hauling a cattle trailer to the Border Patrol checkpoint near Falfurrias.

The jury heard that following a K-9 alert, authorities discovered eight illegal aliens hidden behind bales of hay.

Gomez claimed a friend asked him to move cattle and directed him to the trailer. He also claimed he did not know who owned it. 

The investigation revealed the trailer had been sold on Facebook Marketplace to a buyer using the same phone number as Gomez’s wife. 

The seller testified that Gomez, his wife, and their children arrived in a white F-250 to pick up the trailer in Melvin, Texas.

The jury also heard that Border Patrol checkpoint cameras captured the same white F-250 hauling the trailer approximately one week before the smuggling incident and again on the day of the offense. 

U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzalez Ramos presided over the trial and set sentencing for Jan. 6, 2027. At that time, Gomez faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine

Border Patrol and Brooks County Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Zachary Bird and Ashley Martin are prosecuting the case.

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 35-year-old Honduran national who illegally resided in Houston has been ordered to federal prison for conspiring to transport illegal aliens.

Eliseo Henriquez-Joya, aka Cheyo, pleaded guilty April 28.

U.S. District Judge David S. Morales ordered Henriquez-Joya to serve 72 months in federal prison. As an illegal alien, he is expected to face removal proceedings following his imprisonment. 

At the hearing, the court enhanced his sentence after hearing evidence that Henriquez-Joya was a leader of the organization and coordinated the smuggling of approximately 188 illegal aliens. Henriquez-Joya asked the court for forgiveness. 

Instead, Judge Morales said Henriquez-Joya should seek forgiveness from the 188 people transported in extremely dangerous conditions, calling it “a wonder nobody died.”

The investigation revealed that Henriquez-Joya was part of a human smuggling organization that transported illegal aliens in box trucks, refrigerated trucks, and tractor-trailers. 

Authorities tied Henriquez-Joya to multiple smuggling events dating back to October 2024. Over the course of the investigation, law enforcement stopped vehicles at checkpoints and discovered hidden compartments and false walls built into the cargo areas to conceal large numbers of illegal aliens. The compartments were sealed shut, had little to no ventilation or air conditioning, and provided no way for those inside to escape. 

Forensic evidence recovered from seized cell phones linked Henriquez-Joya to each smuggling event. The phones revealed he recruited drivers and coordinated each trip, including the number of occupants, payments, and pickup and drop-off locations. 

Henriquez-Joya 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. Attorneys Joseph Griffith and John Lamont 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 immigrants, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.

HOUSTON – A 42-year-old woman has been ordered to federal prison for her role in a multimillion-dollar pandemic loan fraud conspiracy.

Trenikia Lashae Banks pleaded guilty Sept. 22, 2025.

U.S. District Judge Kenneth M. Hoyt ordered Banks to serve 18 months in federal prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. Banks was also ordered to pay more than $400,000 in restitution to the Small Business Administration. In handing down the sentence, Judge Hoyt cited the aggravated nature of the crime and Banks’ lack of moral fortitude. He emphasized there is no such thing as “free money” and described her conduct as intentional, not a mistake.

In 2020 and 2021, Banks and Shawn Nicholas Young conspired with approximately 70 others to submit fraudulent applications for funds through the Paycheck Protection Program and Economic Injury Disaster Loan funds intended to help small businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Young submitted more than 100 loan applications from his Missouri City residence, including one for his fake business All Day Money Crew LLC.

The group attempted to obtain more than $14 million in pandemic loan funds and successfully received approximately $4.5 million.

Through Young, Banks obtained three pandemic loans for fake businesses in her name and paid him kickbacks from the proceeds. She also falsified documents at Young’s request for submission with 15 loan applications for other co-conspirators. Young paid Banks to falsify the documents even when the loan applications were unsuccessful.

Banks was permitted to remain on bond and voluntarily surrender to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

Young, 43, Missouri City, also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud for his role in the scheme and is set for sentencing Feb. 9, 2027.

Federal Housing Finance Agency - Office of Inspector General, Treasury Inspector General for Tax Agency, SBA - OIG, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation - OIG, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation, with the assistance of Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Office and Harris County Constable’s Office Precinct 1.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie Bauman prosecuted the case.

On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division which is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports 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.

LAREDO, Texas – A 44-year-old man has pleaded guilty to perjury.

Jose Alfredo Zapata admitted he lied to law enforcement and multiple judges during his previous prosecution for smuggling illegal aliens.

On Sept. 3, 2022, Zapata drove a blue Ford Expedition hauling a trailer to a U.S. Border Patrol checkpoint in Laredo. He identified himself as E.S. and claimed to be a U.S. citizen traveling home to San Antonio.

Following a K-9 alert, authorities discovered 19 illegal aliens concealed in a compartment near the top of the trailer.

Zapata admitted to smuggling the illegal aliens and stated he expected to be paid $2,000 to transport the trailer to San Antonio.

Two of the illegal aliens admitted they had paid a human smuggling organization to transport them into the United States.

Between Sept. 6, 2022 and Jan. 18, 2023, Zapata repeatedly identified himself as E.S. and provided that individual’s identifying information during court proceedings and the investigation. The false information included the victim’s date of birth, address, driver’s license number, and Social Security number.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Diana Song Quiroga accepted the plea and set sentencing for December 29, 2026. At that time, Zapata faces up to five years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.

Zapata has been and will remain in custody pending sentencing.

FBI Laredo conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony Franklyn is prosecuting 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 immigrants, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.

HOUSTON – A 66-year-old Houston physician is accused of participating in a scheme that fraudulently billed the federal government millions of dollars for medical services that were never provided. 

Authorities have now taken Dr. Joseph A. Montes into custody. He made his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Christina Bryan at 10 a.m. today.

A federal grand jury returned a 12-count indictment Sept. 30, which is now unsealed. It alleges that between 2020 and 2022, Montes and others submitted false and fraudulent claims to the Department of Health and Human Services’ Health Resources and Services Administration for office visits that were never provided. 

According to court documents, Montes owned and operated two Houston clinics: Joseph A. Montes MD & Associates, P.A. and Montes Medical PLLC. He allegedly allowed co-conspirators to operate pop-up COVID-19 testing sites under his name. Patients visited the sites for nasal swab testing, while the co-conspirators allegedly billed HSRA for office visits.

The indictment further alleges Montes’s clinics submitted thousands of impossible claims. On approximately 29 dates, they submitted more than 3,000 claims for evaluation and management services. On Dec. 1, 2021, they allegedly submitted more than 9,000 claims in a single day—roughly one patient visit every nine seconds over a 24-hour period.

From 2020 to 2022, Montes and others allegedly billed HSRA approximately $30 million, of which HSRA paid approximately $20 million.

Montes allegedly used proceeds from the scheme to make expensive purchases at a luxury car dealership and Tiffany & Co.

If convicted, Montes faces up to five years in federal prison for the conspiracy charge, 20 years for each wire fraud count, and 10 years for each money laundering count. He also faces a possible $250,000 maximum fine.

FBI – Houston, DHHS - Office of Inspector General, and Texas Attorney General’s Office Medicaid Fraud Control Unit conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathryn Olson is prosecuting the case.

On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division which is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports 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. 

LAREDO, Texas – A 29-year-old former Webb County sheriff’s deputy will serve federal prison time for sexually assaulting and violating the civil rights of a woman.

Ignacio Rodriguez IV pleaded guilty April 23.

U.S. District Judge Marina Garcia Marmolejo ordered Rodriguez to serve 240 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by five years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard testimony that the victim and her passenger, who had been pulled over by Rodriguez, repeatedly said they wanted to go home, but Rodriguez told them, “No, you have to convince me,” before directing them to a desolate area. In handing down the sentence, the court noted Rodriguez’s conduct was brazen, calculated, and extremely cruel.

“When a law enforcement officer commits sexual violence under the color of law, the harm reaches far beyond a single victim,” said U.S. Attorney Aaron Reitz. “It erodes community trust and undermines what it means to wear the uniform. Rodriguez’s abusive and predatory actions here were not only illegal, but immoral and disgusting.”

Rodriguez was a deputy with the Webb County Sheriff’s Office when he committed the offenses. 

On Sept. 1, 2024, Rodriguez observed a vehicle traveling into oncoming traffic and conducted a traffic stop. He ordered the driver and a female passenger to exit the vehicle and stand near his marked patrol unit. Rodriguez then turned off his body-worn camera.

The passenger began recording portions of the interaction on her cell phone. The recording captured both women asking Rodriguez to let them go and Rodriguez repeatedly telling them they needed to “convince him.” He then took the driver’s cell phone and instructed the women to follow him to a nearby street.

Once there, the passenger remained in their vehicle while Rodriguez took the victim into his marked patrol unit, when he forced her to perform oral sex and groped her breast without her consent.

Rodriguez will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

The FBI and the Laredo Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Leslie Ann Cortez and Brandon Scott Bowling prosecuted the case. 

HOUSTON – A 42-year-old illegal alien residing in Houston has been sentenced for illegally reentering the country.

Roberto Ventura-Martinez pleaded guilty May 13.

U.S. District Judge George C. Hanks Jr. ordered Ventura-Martinez to serve 41 months in federal prison. As an illegal alien, he is expected to face removal proceedings following his imprisonment. 

Ventura-Martinez has prior convictions for evading arrest, driving while intoxicated, domestic violence, violating probation, and illegal reentry.

Authorities first removed Ventura-Martinez from the United States in June 2007. Despite his removal, he illegally returned to the country five times. On May 25, 2024, law enforcement once again discovered him illegally present in the United States without authorization.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Enforcement and Removal Operations conducted the investigation. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Robin Whitney prosecuted the case.

HOUSTON – A 43-year-old man living in Richmond, TX will serve time in federal prison for orchestrating a years-long scheme involving fraudulent student financial aid applications and the misuse of victims’ identities.

Emmanuel Olugbaike Finnih is originally from Nigeria and later became a naturalized U.S. citizen. He was also formerly an adjunct professor at Texas Southern University.

Finnih pleaded guilty March 20 to theft of government funds, fraud, unlawful use or transfer of identity documents, and aggravated identity theft.

U.S. District Judge Andrew Hanen ordered Finnih to serve 78 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard how Finnih used false identities, transcripts, UPS boxes, and bank accounts to carry out the scheme, leaving victims with student loan debt that damaged their credit and hindered legitimate school enrollment.

“Higher education costs are already skyrocketing out of control, and it’s scammers like Finnih who make it worse, more expensive, and financially damaging for everyone,” said U.S. Attorney Aaron Reitz. “This fraudster will now suffer the consequences of his manipulative, deceitful, un-American crimes.”

“I am proud of the work of OIG Special Agents and our law enforcement partners for shutting down another student aid fraud ring and holding Mr. Finnih accountable for his criminal actions,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Scott Wingle of the U.S. Department of Education Office of Inspector General’s Central Regional Office. “We will continue to aggressively pursue those who misappropriate education funds for their own selfish purposes. America’s students and taxpayers deserve nothing less.”

For approximately five years, Finnih submitted more than 100 fraudulent financial aid applications to the Department of Education using the identities of numerous straw students at colleges and universities across Texas. 

He used other individuals’ personal identifying information to prepare, submit, and sign fraudulent financial aid applications and master promissory notes in their names. He also used mailing addresses, phone numbers, and email accounts he controlled to receive communications from the Department of Education and the schools.

Finnih then obtained financial aid refunds through electronic transfers, checks, and prepaid debit cards sent to addresses or bank accounts he controlled. 

As part of his plea, Finnih admitted repeatedly using the personal identifying information of two victims over several years to fraudulently obtain federal financial aid. 

Authorities also discovered Finnih possessed false identity documents, including temporary driver permits and identification cards, that he intended to unlawfully use or transfer as part of the scheme.  

The fraud left some victims with tens of thousands of dollars in student loans fraudulently placed in their names, significantly affecting their credit.  

The court also heard how Finnih would often masculinize the names of female straw students while continuing to use their correct social security numbers and dates of birth. This allowed him to pose as the straw students more easily and further the scheme. 

In at least one instance, Finnih called a local community college and attempted to have financial aid payments unfrozen after the school flagged fraudulent transcripts associated with one of the straw students.  

Finnih submitted fraudulent aid applications seeking over $1.3 million in grants and loans, of which $921,189.08 was disbursed.  

Finnih was permitted to remain on bond and voluntarily surrender to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

Department of Education – 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. Attorney Brad R. Gray prosecuted the case.

On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division, which is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports 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.

HOUSTON – A 34-year-old woman has pleaded guilty to health care fraud and aggravated identity theft.

Tekiyah McLeod served as the registered agent for nLove Community Services LLC, which purported to provide mental health therapy services to Medicaid beneficiaries. 

McLeod admitted billing Medicaid approximately $477,872 for mental health therapy services that were never provided, including services purportedly provided to herself. She also used a nurse practitioner’s name and National Provider Identifier to submit fraudulent claims without the practitioner’s knowledge or consent.

As a result of the fraudulent claims, McLeod received approximately $453,323 from Medicaid. 

“Another day, another Medicaid fraudster brought to justice. Why are medical expenses so out of control in this country? In large part because of scammers like Tekiyah,” said U.S. Attorney Aaron Reitz. “Her conduct is despicable, and I trust she’ll have time to dwell on that while in prison for ripping off the American taxpayer.”

U.S. District Judge Keith Ellison accepted the plea and will impose sentencing Dec. 16. At that time, McLeod faces up to 10 years in federal prison for health care fraud and a mandatory consecutive sentence of two years for aggravated identity theft as well as a possible $250,000 maximum fine. 

McLeod was permitted to remain on bond pending sentencing.

The FBI conducted the investigation with assistance from the Texas Attorney General’s Office – Medicaid Fraud Control Unit and the Virginia Office of the Attorney General – Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander Alum is prosecuting the case.

On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division which is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports 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.

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 45-year-old Hutchinson, Kansas, resident will serve federal prison time for his role in an alien smuggling conspiracy.

Jesse Antonio Villa pleaded guilty Aug. 20, 2025.

U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos ordered Villa to serve 65 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard additional testimony that Villa recruited at least 10 drivers from Hutchinson and supplied drivers who helped transport more than 100 illegal aliens. Villa sent the drivers to Houston, where Edgar Ruiz-Briones helped coordinate alien smuggling trips from the Rio Grande Valley through checkpoints into Houston. 

Between May 2023 and November 2024, Villa recruited drivers in Kansas to support an alien smuggling organization led by Ruiz-Briones. Villa sent the drivers to the Rio Grande Valley, where Ruiz-Briones coordinated transportation for illegal aliens crossing the southern border. 

The drivers communicated with both men to set up trips, report progress, and coordinate Houston drop-offs following successful smuggling operations. They picked up illegal aliens from various stash houses and transported them to Houston, where they met with Ruiz-Briones before the aliens were moved farther into the United States. 

Ruiz-Briones was previously sentenced to 120 months for his role in the conspiracy. 

Villa 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 conducted the investigation with the assistance of Border Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Griffith 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 immigrants, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.

LAREDO, Texas – The final defendant in a three-person drug trafficking conspiracy has been ordered to federal prison for distributing fentanyl and heroin. 

Freddy Serano, 42, pleaded guilty April 7.

On Sept. 16, U.S. District Judge Marina Garcia Marmolejo ordered Serano to serve 18 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release.

From May 8 through Aug. 25, 2025, law enforcement conducted an undercover investigation that resulted in the purchase of 3.916 grams of fentanyl and 9.95 grams of heroin from Maritza Navarro. The investigation revealed Navarro received her drug supply from Arturo Martinez and Serano. 

The undercover activity occurred across the street from Kawas Elementary School.  

Co-defendants Navarro, 43, and Martinez Jr., 34, received 48 and 24 months, respectively, for their roles in the conspiracy.

Serano has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

The Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Leslie Ann Cortez prosecuted the case.

HOUSTON – A 35-year-old illegal alien from Mexico who unlawfully resided in Houston has been sentenced for robbery, carjacking, brandishing a firearm, and illegal reentry. 

Jose Luis Reyes-Martinez pleaded guilty July 10.

U.S. District Judge Sim Lake ordered Reyes-Martinez to serve 264 months in federal prison. As an illegal alien, he is expected to face removal proceedings following his imprisonment. 

At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence that Reyes-Martinez sexually assaulted a woman after breaking into her home and restraining her and her husband at gunpoint. In handing down the sentence, the court noted the seriousness of the offenses and Reyes-Martinez’s threats to harm the victim’s children if she did not remain silent during the assault. Judge Lake also noted the victim continues to suffer trauma as a result of Reyes-Martinez’s actions.

On Sept. 9, 2023, Reyes-Martinez entered the Fiesta Supermarket on Airline Drive in Houston. He brandished a handgun at two employees, forced one into a frozen meat locker, and demanded cash before fleeing on a bicycle. 

Reyes-Martinez then broke into a nearby residence and held a family hostage at gunpoint for several hours. He tied one of them up, sexually assaulted a woman while again brandishing the firearm, and then stole their car. 

Forensic analysis on a condom recovered from the assault linked Reyes-Martinez to the crime. 

Authorities first encountered Reyes-Martinez in Arizona in 2012 after he illegally entered the United States. Authorities subsequently removed him from the country. Law enforcement later discovered him in Houston on Oct. 21, 2023. 

The FBI and Houston Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Francisco J. Rodriguez prosecuted the case.

HOUSTON – A 28-year-old Mexican national has been ordered to federal prison for illegally entering the country again. 

Javier Alejandro Gallegos-Rangel pleaded guilty July 14.

U.S. District Judge Nicholas J. Ganjei ordered him to serve 63 months in federal prison. As an illegal alien, he is expected to face removal proceedings following his imprisonment.

Gallegos-Rangel has a prior federal conviction for illegal reentry as well as convictions for evading arrest or detention in a vehicle, burglary of a vehicle, and assault of a family member. He was previously convicted of illegal reentry in February 2019. 

Authorities have removed Gallegos-Rangel from the United States three times: July 2016, December 2019, and May 2025. He illegally returned to the United States following those removals. 

On Dec. 16, 2025, law enforcement again discovered Gallegos-Rangel in Houston without authorization to be in the United States. 

Gallegos-Rangel 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 Ekua Assabill 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 – A 45-year-old Honduran national who illegally resided in Houston has been sentenced for illegally reentering the county again.

Edwin Omar Ferrera Casares pleaded guilty July 13.

U.S. District Judge Nicholas J. Ganjei ordered Casares to serve 60 months in federal prison. As an illegal alien, he is expected to face removal proceedings following his imprisonment.

Casares has prior convictions for illegal reentry. 

Law enforcement removed him from the United States four times since the first instance in June 2008. He repeatedly returned illegally. 

On May 6, law enforcement again discovered him Houston with no authorization to be in the country. 

Casares 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. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Robin Whitney prosecuted the case.

HOUSTON – A 40-year-old Houston woman has pleaded guilty to tax offenses involving businesses and the preparation of false tax returns.  

Levi Casildo Castro admitted to willful failure to collect and pay over tax and assisting in the preparation of false tax returns. 

Castro operated LC Home Remodeling and Maid Service and A&M Home Remodeling and Cleaning. Through those businesses, she withheld federal income, Social Security, and Medicare taxes from employees’ wages but failed to pay the money to the U.S. Treasury.

Castro also worked as a paid tax preparer despite not having authorization to do so. She prepared tax returns for clients but falsely indicated the clients had prepared the returns themselves. 

Those returns included false information about wages, federal tax withholdings and Social Security and Medicare taxes. Castro inflated the amounts to increase the earned income tax credits her clients could receive. 

Castro admitted her actions caused approximately $400,000 in losses to the U.S. Treasury. 

U.S. District Judge Lee H. Rosenthal accepted the plea and set sentencing for Dec. 16. At that time, Castro faces up to eight years in federal prison as well as a possible $110,000 maximum fine.

Previously released on bond, Castro was permitted to remain on bond pending sentencing.  

The IRS conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Laurence Goldman prosecuted the case.

On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division which is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports 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.

HOUSTON – A 55-year-old man has been ordered to federal prison for orchestrating the burning of a three-story medical center under construction in Spring.

Truong Quoc Duong pleaded guilty March 3 to conspiring to maliciously use explosive materials resulting in personal injury.  

U.S. District Judge Lee Rosenthal ordered Duong to serve 84 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by five years of supervised release. Duong was further ordered to pay $3,581,983.67 in restitution.

At the hearing, the court heard about injuries to a firefighter and damage to a fire truck, neighboring car wash, and the medical center. The court further considered the financial impact on the property owners and their employees, along with Duong’s prior criminal history.

In handing down the sentence, the court cited Duong’s “shocking disregard” for the danger he created by igniting a building next to other occupied structures and the firefighters who had to respond. The court also noted Duong’s education and criticized his decision to use it to plan the offense, calling it a “real waste.”

The court additionally questioned Duong’s explanation for possessing five 2-liter bottles filled with flammable liquid, five grenade hulls, 188 firearm magazines, 14 silencers, 351 rounds of ammunition, and 87 firearms—including two short-barreled rifles—at the time of his arrest, describing his explanation as “challenging.” 

On Nov. 21, 2022, Duong drove Jason Rogers to the three-story medical center on Interstate 45 North in Spring and dropped him off near the building. Rogers entered carrying a full backpack and emerged several minutes later without it. The two later met at a nearby restaurant.

The fire erupted after both men left the area. Firefighters worked for several hours to extinguish the blaze, which destroyed the building and damaged the neighboring car wash. A firefighter suffered burn injuries, and damages exceeded $1 million.

Authorities later arrested Duong with several 2-liter Dr Pepper bottles filled with gasoline and fitted with an ignition system he had designed. Investigators determined the devices matched those used to set fire to the medical center.

Duong owned a pet store in a neighboring strip center and rented the space from the same landlords who owned the medical center. The investigation revealed he had stopped paying rent and abandoned the store before his lease expired. The landlords sued him, the birds inside died as a result of the eviction, and the fire occurred several days later, according to information presented in court.

Duong has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

Rogers, 41, of Houston, has been sentenced for his role.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Montgomery County Fire Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Laurence Goldman prosecuted the case.

HOUSTON – A Bay City physician faces a False Claims Act lawsuit alleging he fraudulently billed Medicare nearly $500,000 for surgical neurostimulator electrode implantations. 

Dr. Michael Neret owns and manages Neret MD Medical Clinic and practices in Bay City and Lake Jackson.

According to the complaint, Neret billed Medicare for surgical neurostimulator electrode implantations. These complex procedures require an operating room, and Medicare pays thousands of dollars for each procedure. 

However, the complaint alleges Neret did not perform the surgeries he billed to Medicare. Instead, non-physician practitioners and non-clinical staff allegedly used inexpensive electro-acupuncture devices during brief, in-office sessions. They inserted small electrode wires into patients’ skin and secured the devices behind their ears with adhesive.

The complaint further alleges Neret encouraged staff to use the electro-acupuncture devices without explaining how the procedures would benefit patients. Neret allegedly knew the devices were non-billable and used the procedures to justify prescribing narcotics for pain management. 

The Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General assisted with the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Laura E. Collins and Michelle Luong are handling the matter.

The claims are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.

HOUSTON – A 70-year-old dual citizen of the United States and Peru made his initial appearance in Houston federal court following his extradition from Peru to face charges in an alleged multiyear bank fraud and money laundering scheme involving at least $40 million in fraudulent loan proceeds.

Hugo Villanueva, formerly of Katy, was extradited to the United States Sept. 17 and has now appeared for his arraignment. He is scheduled for a detention hearing Oct. 7 at 10 a.m.

According to the indictment, Villanueva and others conspired from at least 2016 to 2021 to obtain dozens of fraudulent bank loans totaling at least $40 million. They allegedly submitted loan applications containing false information and fraudulent supporting documents, including equipment sales invoices, income tax returns, and bank statements.

The indictment further alleges Villanueva prepared false tax returns and financial statements to support the fraudulent loan applications and obtain approval from financial institutions.

Villanueva allegedly fled the United States in 2023 to avoid arrest. Authorities arrested him in Lima, Peru, in November 2025.

Co-defendants Bun Khath, 45, Jeremiah Almaguer, 46, both of Richmond; and Jennifer Williams, 72, of Houston; previously pleaded guilty for their roles in the scheme and received sentences of 120 months, 60 months, and 12 months, respectively. 

Co-defendants William Mills, 62, Kazem Younes, 65, both of Sugar Land; and Jolson Wu, 64, of Houston, have also pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing. 

Villanueva faces up to 30 years in prison and a possible $1 million maximum fine for the conspiracy, bank fraud, and false statement to obtain credit charges. He also faces up to 20 years in prison and a possible $500,000 maximum fine or twice the amount of the value involved in the transaction for the money laundering conspiracy charge. 

The Federal Housing Finance Agency - Office of Inspector General, IRS-Criminal Investigation, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation-OIG, and FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Belinda Beek is prosecuting the case.

The Justice Department extends its gratitude to the Government of Peru for making the extradition possible. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance in securing the defendant’s arrest and extradition from Peru. 

An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.

HOUSTON – U.S. Attorney Aaron F. Reitz has issued strategic guidance outlining the Southern District of Texas’s law enforcement, prosecution, and investigation priorities, as well as the principles he expects to guide the office’s work.

See full text linked here and below:

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           We all swore an oath to “protect and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies—foreign and domestic.” That’s our mission as a U.S. Attorney’s Office: to uphold the Constitution and Rule of Law against their enemies in federal court. 

           The survival of our republic depends on the foundation of a self-governing people. Written law—like the Constitution, Bill of Rights, and federal statutes—orders complex civilizations like ours. But that only works for a people who first rule themselves. Law-followers get freedom, peace, and independence. Law-breakers get the sword—removed from civil society and punished through swift, certain, and fair prosecution.

            That’s where we come in: advancing the Rule of Law so that law-abiding individuals, families, and communities can flourish, free from the predations of criminals and criminality. 

            To that end, we will organize our resources, focus our efforts, and use our prosecutorial discretion in the aggressive pursuit of the following law-enforcement priorities.

PRIORITIES

1. Enhance public safety

            We will relentlessly reduce the violence that flows from gangs, recidivists, drug and human traffickers, and those with no respect for human life. 

1. Destroy transnational criminal and foreign terrorist organizations 

            We will hunt down cartels and other criminal enterprises that deal in drugs, women and children, weapons, and illegal aliens, and smoke out their networks of bosses, money launderers, stash houses, suppliers, and allies. 

1. Defend American sovereignty

            We will secure our border and help deport and punish illegal aliens, whose very existence on American soil is criminal. We will protect the integrity of our elections. We will guard our institutions against foreign interference. 

1. Eradicate public corruption

            We will hold accountable those in power who betray public trust through bribery, procurement or grant fraud, election crimes, and abuse of office.

1. Protect the American taxpayer against fraud

            We will ensure that taxpayer dollars are used only for their lawful intended purpose by prosecuting those who fraudulently steal funds or rig systems related to federal benefits, government contracts, natural disasters, and immigration. 

CHARACTER

            As we pursue these priorities, we will do so with the following character traits:

1. Judgment

            Understanding right and wrong, good and evil, and how to distinguish between them, weigh consequences wisely, and act with prudence.

1. Justice

            Giving to every person what he is owed, without fear or favor, in fidelity to law and truth.

1. Integrity

            Doing the right thing every time—aligning word, deed, and conscience so that our conduct in the dark is the same as in the light.

1. Courage

            Exercising the moral strength to do what is right despite danger, pressure, or personal cost in the pursuit of worthy objectives. 

1. Loyalty

            Showing faithfulness to and solidarity with America’s founding principles, the Constitution and our Article II Executive Power role within it, the law, our oath, the Office, and your colleagues.

SDTX LEADS THE WAY

            The Southern District of Texas is at the forefront of the most sophisticated federal law enforcement work in the nation. No other district has the combined diversity and complexity of scale, geography, population, coastline, economy, or border like we do. The sheer scope of SDTX means we carry a responsibility that no other district carries.

            I intend for us to meet that responsibility. Together, we will drive the President’s and Attorney General’s law enforcement priorities harder, faster, more effectively, and more aggressively than any office in the country. The stakes here are higher than anywhere else. We must seek justice. And we must win. Duty demands it and the citizens of this district deserve nothing less.

BROWNSVILLE, Texas – A 33-year-old Brownsville man has been ordered to federal prison for possession of child pornography.

Jose Jaime Baeza Jr. pleaded guilty Aug. 5, 2025.

U.S. District Judge Rolando Olvera ordered Baeza to serve 180 months in federal prison at a hearing Sept. 9, to be immediately followed by life on supervised release.

During that time, Baeza will be subject to numerous requirements restricting his access to children and the internet and will be required to register as a sex offender. The court further ordered Baeza to pay $30,000 in restitution to the victims.

On Jan. 17, 2024, Baeza attempted to enter the United States through the Brownsville & Matamoros International Bridge with a female child. He claimed she was his sister but did not have the proper documentation to support that statement.

Authorities referred Baeza to secondary inspection after a records check flagged him as a registered sex offender.

Law enforcement located two cell phones and discovered a video of an 8-year-old child engaging in sex acts. 

A forensic analysis of one of the phones uncovered approximately 2,177 images and 487 videos of child sexual abuse material.

Baeza 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 with assistance from Customs and Border Protection.

Assistant U.S. Attorney 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 link on that page.

GALVESTON, Texas – A 59-year-old Hitchcock resident has pleaded guilty to receipt and possession of child pornography.

Peter Michael Ryan IV admitted he received, possessed, and shared child sexual abuse material through multiple online platforms, including the Verizon Cloud, Snapchat, Google, and Telegram. Ryan distributed the material from at least April 2021 until law enforcement searched his home in April 2023. Investigators found that Ryan possessed more than 7,500 videos and images of child sexual abuse material in his possession.

U.S. District Judge Jeffrey V. Brown will impose sentencing on Dec. 1. At that time, Ryan faces up to 40 years in federal prison for receipt of child pornography and 20 years for possession of child pornography. He also faces a possible $250,000 maximum fine.

Ryan has been and will remain in custody pending sentencing.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Hitchcock Police Department and Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine Lu is 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.

HOUSTON – A 38-year-old Houston man has been ordered to federal prison for conspiring to defraud his former employer through fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans.

Feliciano Pineda pleaded guilty Feb. 12.

U.S. District Judge George C. Hanks Jr. ordered Pineda to serve 50 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard that Pineda, a former banker, helped customers obtain millions of dollars in fraudulent loans and later obstructed the investigation. Pineda was also ordered to pay approximately $2.2 million in total restitution to his victims. 

As part of his plea, Pineda admitted to creating a fake LLC and opening a business bank account to receive kickback checks from customers he helped obtain fraudulent loans. 

Pineda worked at a Houston bank at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. From April through August 2020, he used his position to process fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program loans for businesses that did not qualify because they either did not exist or had falsely inflated their financial information.

Pineda personally benefited from the scheme, receiving more than $200,000 in load proceeds from borrowers whose PPP loans he helped facilitate. 

Pineda was permitted to remain on bond and voluntarily surrender to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

The Secret Service, U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, and Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation - Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie Bauman prosecuted the case.

On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division, which is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports 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.

HOUSTON – A 53-year-old Willis resident has been sentenced for conspiring to pay and receive health care kickbacks.

Henry Allen Gonzales pleaded guilty June 30, 2022. 

Chief U.S. District Judge Charles Eskridge ordered Gonzales to serve 30 months in federal prison, to be immediately followed by one year of supervised release. In imposing the sentence, the court noted the significant financial loss to the Department of Labor Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs (DOL-OWCP). The court also ordered Gonzales to pay more than $49 million in restitution to the DOL-OWCP.

“Gonzales treated injured workers as a personal ATM, bleeding a federal program of nearly $50 million through kickbacks, bogus prescriptions, and outright greed,” said U.S. Attorney Aaron Reitz. “Under President Trump and Vice President Vance’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, this kind of theft from the American people will not be tolerated. My office will keep working hand-in-hand with DOJ’s National Fraud Enforcement Division to track down every fraudster preying on federal benefit programs and make them pay in full and behind bars.”

Gonzales owned and operated Option 1 Pain & Rehab Clinic, formerly Direct Medical Clinic, and received more than $2 million in kickbacks from Rayford ACP Pharmacy. In exchange, he referred prescriptions for expensive compounded medications to the pharmacy.

Gonzales also admitted paying marketers to refer DOL-OWCP claimants to his clinic and bribing doctors to sign prescriptions for the compounded medications.  

After the Rayford ACP kickback scheme ended, Gonzales opened Farmacia, and continued fraudulently billing DOL-OWCP. 

From 2015 to 2018, Rayford ACP and Farmacia received approximately $49,014,183.03 in DOL-OWCP claims involving medically unnecessary compounded medications. 

Gonzales was permitted to remain on bond and voluntarily surrender to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. 

The Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, Department of Labor Office of Inspector General, U.S. Postal Service OIG, FBI – Houston, and Department of War Defense Criminal Investigative Service conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kathryn Olson and Alexander Alum prosecuted the case. 

On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division, which is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports 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.

HOUSTON – Another 254 people have been charged with immigration and border security-related crimes from Sept. 11-17.

A total of 176 criminal complaints were filed for felony reentry after prior removal, while another 43 people face charges of illegal entry. Most of those illegal aliens have prior felony convictions involving narcotics, violent crimes, immigration crimes, and more. In addition, 29 people have been charged with human smuggling, including 20 illegal aliens themselves. The remaining cases charged this week relate to other immigration crimes and firearms charges. 

As part of the newly filed complaints, Albanian national Arben Cima has been charged with illegal reentry into the country. According to the charges, authorities previously removed him March 12, 2022, before discovering him again near Mission. According to his complaint, he has a prior conviction for possession with intent to distribute heroin.

One of the cases includes Hector Bartelemi Morales-Valle, a Honduran illegal alien who law enforcement allegedly discovered unlawfully in the country near Roma. The criminal complaint against him alleges he has a prior conviction for burglary. If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in prison.

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, as well as the 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 immigrants, 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 the Southern 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.

BROWNSVILLE, Texas – A 40-year-old Baytown man has been sentenced for possession with intent to deliver cocaine.

Pablo Luis Fuentes-Rivas pleaded guilty July 2, 2025.

At a Sept. 17 hearing, U.S. District Judge Fernando Rodriguez Jr. ordered Fuentes-Rivas to serve 70 months in federal prison. His prison term will be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. 

The investigation revealed that on March 29, 2025, authorities conducted an undercover operation involving the delivery of a tractor-trailer loaded with cocaine to the Houston and Baytown areas.

Three vehicles traveled in tandem with the drug load and conducted counter-surveillance during the trip. Efren Pinales-Hernandez drove one of the vehicles. 

Law enforcement later observed Fuentes-Rivas, Pinales-Hernandez, and Daniel Teniente-Marfileno at a Baytown truck lot offloading bundles of cocaine from the tractor-trailer into a Ford F-150 driven by Teniente-Marfileno.

After Teniente-Marfileno left with the cocaine, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop, took him into custody, and seized approximately 182.25 kilograms of cocaine with an estimated street value of nearly $2.3 million. Authorities then arrested Fuentes-Rivas and Pinales-Hernandez at the truck lot as they attempted to leave.

Teniente-Marfileno, 39, a Mexican citizen residing in Baytown, also pleaded guilty and is set for sentencing Sept. 29. 

Pinales-Hernandez, 51, Weslaco, is set for further criminal proceedings.

Fuentes-Rivas has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Oscar Ponce prosecuted the case.

This prosecution is 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 committed by these organizations, 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 South Texas comprises agents and officers from Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations; FBI; Drug Enforcement Administration; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; U.S. Marshals Service; U.S. Postal Inspection Service; Department of Transportation; IRS Criminal Investigation; 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.

HOUSTON – A 53-year-old Spring resident has been sentenced for the sex trafficking of a minor.

John Alberth pleaded guilty Nov. 18, 2025.

U.S. District Judge George P. Hanks has ordered Alberth to serve 135 months in federal prison. Alberth was further ordered to serve five years on supervised release following his prison term. During that time, he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the internet. Alberth was also ordered to register as a sex offender.

From Aug. 26 through Oct. 5, 2023, Alberth exchanged messages with a 16-year-old girl, and offered money in exchange for sexual activity and explicit photos. 

As part of his plea, Alberth admitted paying the minor through CashApp and asking her to send him photos of herself that constituted child sexual abuse material. 

Law enforcement discovered text messages confirming Alberth knew the victim was a minor. 

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 conducted the investigation with the assistance of Houston Police Department and Sheriff’s Offices in Harris and Galveston Counties. 

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jay Hileman 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. 

HOUSTON – A 24-year-old man has been ordered to federal prison for aiding and abetting a robbery and unlawful possession of firearm.

Felipe Ortuno pleaded guilty March 31.

U.S. District Judge George C. Hanks Jr. has now handed Ortuno a 240-month term of imprisonment for the robbery and an additional 120 months for the firearm charge. The court ordered the sentences to run consecutively, resulting in a total 360-month prison term to be immediately followed by two years of supervised release.  

On Oct. 31, 2019, Ortuno and others robbed a Houston-area stash house and held two women at gunpoint, forcing them to lie face down.

The owner of the stash house returned during the robbery, and the group attacked him. He sustained a gunshot wound during the altercation and later died from his injuries.

Surveillance showed Ortuno and his accomplices committing the robbery.

Ortuno 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. Attorneys Anh-Khoa Tran and Anthony Franklyn prosecuted the case.

Project Safe Neighborhoods is the Department of Justice’s nationwide initiative that brings federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, prosecutors, and other public safety partners together to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime and make communities safe. Coordinated by U.S. Attorneys’ offices in each of the 94 federal districts, PSN is tailored to particular communities to strategically address specific violent crime and public safety challenges. As a key component of Operation Take Back America, PSN serves a central role in the Department’s commitment to make our country safe. PSN emphasizes three core principles: rapid federal response to violent crime and criminal offenders; strong, strategic partnerships among law enforcement at all levels; and accountability and deterrence through the prosecution of the most serious, readily provable offenses and other strategies. These efforts complement and strengthen President Trump’s Homeland Security Task Forces, ensuring a comprehensive federal response to the most pressing public safety issues facing communities.

McALLEN, Texas – A 21-year-old Mexican national has been indicted for allegedly providing material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization.

Jose Flores-Flores of Reynosa, Tamaulipas, Mexico, remains in custody following his arrest. A federal grand jury returned the superseding indictment, and he is expected to appear for arraignment before U.S. Magistrate Judge J. Scott Hacker in the near future.

“Thanks to President Trump designating certain cartels as foreign terrorist organizations, federal law enforcement now has a whole new arsenal of legal tools to dismantle their activities,” said U.S. Attorney Aaron Reitz. “Flores-Flores in just one defendant today. But under the leadership of President Trump and Attorney General Blanche, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas is on the very forefront of Making America Safe Again through the destruction and dismantling of these terrorist cartels.

According to the charges, authorities encountered Flores-Flores near Mission July 10. A records check allegedly revealed authorities had previously removed him from the United States earlier this year.

The indictment further alleges Flores-Flores was an active member of the Gulf Cartel for more than a year. He allegedly provided services including personnel, regional protection and enforcement, law enforcement countersurveillance, and disposal of human remains.

Flores-Flores allegedly worked nights maintaining an assigned sector in Reynosa. He also conducted countersurveillance against the Mexican military and law enforcement.

According to the indictment, Flores-Flores received names or photographs of individuals targeted for kidnapping. He allegedly kidnapped those individuals and delivered them to higher-ranking cartel members.

The indictment also alleges Flores-Flores dismembered at least two victims on the outskirts of Reynosa after they ran afoul of the Gulf Cartel.

The United States designated the Gulf Cartel, also known as Cartel del Golfo, as a foreign terrorist organization Feb. 20, 2025. According to the Department of State, the northeast Mexico-based cartel is involved in drug trafficking, kidnapping, extortion, human smuggling, and other illicit activities. They also use violence, including assassinations of civilians and government officials, to intimidate the public and control territory.

If convicted, Flores-Flores faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.

Border Patrol and FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Devin Walker and Avery Benitez are prosecuting the case.

A recording of the press conference announcing the indictment is available on YouTube at the following link: https://youtube.com/live/VNE8hvY3cns?feature=share.

An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law. 

HOUSTON – A 46-year-old local resident has been indicted on charges of kidnapping and attempted carjacking following a violent stabbing attack.

Perry Bernard Green made his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Peter Bray on Sept. 15.

According to the indictment, Green kidnapped and attempted to carjack a woman at knifepoint May 11 in a parking garage near the Houston Medical Center.

During the attack, Green allegedly bound the victim’s hands with zip ties and repeatedly stabbed and cut her in the face, chest, arms, hands, and ankle.

Green has been and will remain in custody pending trial. 

If convicted, he faces up to life in federal prison and a possible maximum fine of $250,000.

FBI – Houston and Houston Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew C. Sand 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.

LAREDO, Texas – A 40-year-old Laredo man has been sentenced for attempting to entice someone he believed to be a 12-year-old girl to engage in sexual activity.

Christian Estrada pleaded guilty April 8.

U.S. District Marina Garcia Marmolejo has now ordered Estrada to serve 120 months in federal prison. In handing down the sentence, the court noted how disturbing it was that someone in such a respected position would commit the offense. Estrada was further ordered to spend the rest of his life on supervised release following his prison term. During that time, he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the internet. Estrada will also be ordered to register as a sex offender.

From April through December 2025, law enforcement conducted an undercover operation involving Estrada, who used the name “dopehound” while communicating on Reddit, Snapchat, and Telegram.

During the online conversations, Estrada expressed a sexual interest in a fictitious 12-year-old girl and discussed arranging a meeting with her to engage in sexual activity. He also repeatedly requested nude or sexually explicit images of the child.

In November 2025, Estrada asked to communicate directly with the girl and provided his Snapchat account information. He later initiated a conversation with an undercover account he believed belonged to the 12-year-old girl. During the exchange, he requested sexually explicit images and continued discussing sexual activity.  

Authorities later obtained records from Reddit Inc. that helped identify Estrada as “dopehound.”  At the time, Estrada was a sworn law enforcement officer employed by the Texas Department of Public Safety as a state trooper.  

Law enforcement subsequently executed a federal search warrant at Estrada’s residence while law enforcement interviewed him at another location. During the interview, Estrada confirmed the “dopehound” Telegram account belonged to him.  

“Protecting minors from the depraved schemes of online sexual predators is a top priority for the Southern District of Texas,” said U.S. Attorney Aaron F. Reitz. “If somebody takes to the internet to prey on children, they are going to find their world turned upside down by this office. I will pursue these online predators to the ends of the internet in order to protect our kids and keep perverts away from them.”

Estrada has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

The FBI conducted the investigation with assistance from the Texas Department of Public Safety.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Makens is 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.

HOUSTON – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas has charged another 218 people in immigration and border security-related matters from Sept. 4–10.

The cases include charges against 21 individuals—nine of whom are illegal aliens—allegedly involved in human smuggling. A total of 36 criminal complaints were filed for illegal entry, while another 150 people face charges of felony reentry after prior removal. Most of those individuals have prior felonies related to narcotics, violent crime, immigration offenses, and more. The remaining five cases charged this week relate to other immigration-related crimes.

As part of the newly filed complaints, Albanian national Arben Cima has been charged with illegal reentry into the country. According to the charges, authorities previously removed him March 12, 2022, before discovering him again near Mission. According to his complaint, he has a prior conviction for possession with intent to distribute heroin.

Two others—Jose Yojcom-Rocche and Antonio Rubio-Zuniga—were also allegedly found near Roma despite having been previously removed. According to the charges, Yojcom-Rocche has a prior conviction for lewd or lascivious acts with a child, while Rubio-Zuniga has a prior conviction for aggravated robbery.

All face up to 20 years in federal prison if convicted. 

In addition to the new cases, Mexican national Erik Guadalupe Ibarra Venegas was sentenced to 16 months in federal prison for unlawful possession of a firearm. Authorities responded to a report of a suspicious man carrying tools and pushing two bicycles. During the encounter, law enforcement discovered a 5.56-caliber pistol on him. The investigation revealed Venegas had overstayed his visa and was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition.

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, as well as the 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 immigrants, 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 the Southern 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.

HOUSTON – Two women have been ordered to federal prison for participating in an aggravated identity scheme that targeted JCPenney stores across the country.

Cabria Cunningham, 27, Rowlett, and Mykiah Furlough, 27, Dallas, pleaded guilty Sept. 5, 2025, and Feb. 19, 2026, respectively.

U.S. District Judge David Hittner has ordered both Cunningham and Furlough to serve 24 months in federal prison. Both must also serve one year of supervised release following their prison terms and pay restitution to the victims. In imposing the sentences, the court noted that Furlough’s relative, Ashley Urune, recruited both women into the scheme.

In 2022 and 2023, the three women traveled to JCPenney stores across the country and posed as legitimate customers who had JCPenney-branded credit cards. They used fraudulent identification and customers’ personal information to access credit accounts at the register.

They then used those accounts to purchase merchandise and gift cards, which they later sold on social media.

Furlough and Cunningham were permitted to remain on bond and voluntarily surrender to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

Urune, 34, Dallas, was also charged and previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. She is set for sentencing Dec. 3.

U.S. Postal Inspection Service conducted the investigation with the assistance of the U.S. Marshals Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie Bauman prosecuted the case.

BROWNSVILLE, Texas – A 29-year-old woman has been sentenced for possession with intent to deliver cocaine. 

Laura Janette Gonzalez pleaded guilty Sept. 21, 2025.

U.S. District Judge Rolando Olvera has now ordered Gonzalez to serve 25 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by two years of supervised release. 

The investigation began in early 2024 when authorities identified Edgar Alejandro Villarreal, a/k/a Fresa, as a large-scale cocaine trafficker coordinating the smuggling, transportation, and distribution of multi-kilogram quantities of cocaine from Mexico into the United States.

During surveillance operations April 16, 2024, law enforcement observed Gonzalez and others arrive at a Weslaco parking lot in a Chevrolet Equinox to deliver narcotics. After spotting authorities, they fled.

Authorities conducted a traffic stop resulted in the discovery of a gift-wrapped box containing approximately 8.8 kilograms of cocaine. 

The investigation revealed Villarreal and Edith Gonzalez, Laura Janette Gonzalez’s sister, coordinated the shipment that Laura Janette Gonzalez was to deliver.

Both Villarreal, 38, Brownsville, and Edith Gonzalez, 45, Donna, pleaded guilty. Edith Gonzalez received a 78-month-term, while Villarreal is scheduled to be sentenced Oct 21.

Laura Gonzalez has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

This operation is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) 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 toward identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, 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 South Texas/Houston comprises agents and officers from Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations; FBI; Drug Enforcement Administration; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; U.S. Marshals Service; U.S. Postal Inspection Service; Department of Transportation; IRS Criminal Investigation; Interpol/Department of State; and Naval Criminal Investigative Service with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas leading the prosecution. 

Brownsville Police Department also assisted in this investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Oscar Ponce prosecuted the case.

HOUSTON – A 44-year-old Houston woman has been charged with mail fraud and false statements in relation to her job as an immigration attorney.

Authorities have now taken Alla Nowowiejski into custody. She made her initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Richard Bennett at 2 p.m. today.

According to the indictment, Nowowiejski accepted payments from clients to assist them with establishing or adjusting their work status and applying for work visas. However, she allegedly never submitted the applications or only submitted them in part. 

The indictment further alleges Nowowiejski provided clients with false documents or reference numbers associated with active immigration cases unrelated to her clients. She allegedly used the documents and reference number to make the clients believe immigration authorities were processing their applications.

If convicted, she faces up to 20 years in federal prison, and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.    

The Department of Homeland Security – Office of Inspector General and the U.S. Postal Service – OIG conducted the investigation with assistance of the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service and the Harris County Constable’s Office - Precinct 1. Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Carter 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.

HOUSTON – A 25-year-old Mexican national who illegally resided in Houston has been ordered to federal prison for unlawful possession of a firearm.

Erik Guadalupe Ibarra Venegas pleaded guilty June 5.

U.S. District Judge Keith P. Ellison has now ordered Venegas to serve 16 months in federal prison and a $100 special assessment. As an illegal alien, he is expected to face removal proceedings following his imprisonment.

Oct. 28, 2025, law enforcement responded to a report of a suspicious man pushing two bicycles and carrying tools in a cul-de-sac. Authorities found Venegas walking in the middle of the road obstructing traffic. 

During the police encounter, the defendant was asked if he had any firearms. Venegas showed the officer a 5.56 caliber pistol that was on his person.  

Venegas had no identification and provided a fake name, but fingerprint analysis later confirmed his identity.

The investigation revealed Venegas had overstayed his visa and was unlawfully present in the United States. As a result, he is prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms and ammunition. 

He has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. 

Hedwig Village Police Department, ICE - Homeland Security Investigations, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives conducted the investigation. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Smith and AUSA Byron Black 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 immigrants, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.

HOUSTON – Another 247 people have been charged, including 232 illegal aliens, in 239 cases involving immigration and border security-related crimes from Aug. 28-Sept. 3.

A total of 171 criminal complaints were filed for felony reentry after prior removal, while another 41 people face charges of illegal entry. Most of those illegal aliens have prior felonies involving narcotics, violent crime, immigration offenses, and more. In addition, 42 people have been charged with human smuggling which includes 20 illegal aliens themselves. The remaining cases charged this week relate to other immigration crimes and firearms charges. 

Three illegal aliens charged during this period were already removed this year, but returned again unlawfully to the Rio Grande Valley, according to new criminal complaints against them. Junior Fidel Ramos-Leiva is a Honduran male who allegedly has a prior conviction of robbery with dangerous weapon, while Mexican nationals Brayan Valadez-Hernandez and Brayan Gutierrez-Salvador have two prior felony drug convictions and an alien smuggling conviction, respectively.

Law enforcement discovered three more Mexican males illegally in the United States. Jose Ivan Hernandez-Martinez and Jose Francisco Torres-Olguin allegedly have prior convictions for alien in possession of a firearm and alien smuggling before their removals in 2025. Jose Luis Amezcua-Gutierrez was discovered near Hidalgo, despite having been removed in 2024 following his conviction and sentence for indecent liberties with child.

All five face up to 20 years in federal prison if convicted.

In addition to the new cases, Ivan Gerardo Castillo-Castro, an illegal alien from Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, Mexico, received a 33-month federal prison sentence for being an alien in possession of a firearm. At the hearing, the court heard about his prior criminal history, including convictions for assault and illegal reentry, as well as incidents in which he assaulted a domestic partner, a juvenile, and a police officer attempting to arrest him. While awaiting sentencing, he also participated in a gang-style assault on other inmates.

The cases are referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including ICE - Homeland Security Investigations, ICE - Enforcement and Removal Operations, Border Patrol, Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI, U.S. Marshals Service, as well as the 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 immigrants, 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 the Southern 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.

HOUSTON – A 46-year-old Houston resident has been sentenced for failure to register as a sex offender, possession of child pornography, sexual exploitation of children, and coercion and enticement.

Dustin Gentry pleaded guilty May 11. U.S. District Judge George C. Hanks has now sentenced him to life in federal prison. 

At the hearing Sept. 2, the court heard additional information that Gentry was previously convicted of possessing child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and continued to do so after his first conviction. Gentry targeted victims younger than 12 and told them how to pose and take their clothes off, while he posed as someone younger. Gentry also tried to entice one victim to create sexually explicit images of their even younger siblings. The court also heard that the victims in this case have been harmed forever from this conduct.

In handing down the prison terms, Judge Hanks called Gentry “every parent’s worst nightmare” and a “predator willing to destroy children’s lives,” noting the unbearable and horrific pain and suffering he inflicted. 

“You have demonstrated you aren’t going to stop unless physically unable to do it again,” said Hanks. “Every life has value, including yours. But at the same time, you can’t use yours to harm others. You will never be in a position to do what you did again.”  

Gentry was further ordered to pay $10,000 in restitution to a victim in the case and will be ordered to re-register as a sex offender.

Following a 2010 conviction for possession of child pornography, Gentry was ordered to register as a sex offender and was required to report any changes to online identifiers. However, the investigation revealed Gentry failed to do so. 

Law enforcement executed a search warrant on Gentry’s residence and discovered over 1,000 images of CSAM on his electronic devices. A further search revealed conversations with multiple minors requesting more CSAM.

The messages revealed he directed victims as young as 12 to send explicit photos and instructed them how to pose in them.

Gentry has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Celia Moyer is 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.

McALLEN, Texas – A 27-year-old McAllen resident has been ordered to prison for his role in a long-term alien smuggling scheme that involved several high-speed pursuits. 

Jose Manuel Silva-Lopez pleaded guilty Dec. 18, 2025. 

U.S. District Judge Drew B. Tipton has now ordered him to serve 360 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. The court also imposed a $10,000 special assessment. At the hearing, the court heard that Silva-Lopez created a risk of death or serious bodily injury by recruiting teenage drivers and instructing them to engage in high-speed pursuits from law enforcement. The court also heard that Silva-Lopez showed no remorse after the fatality event that claimed the life of three, including the minor driver, because he continued to recruit juvenile drivers and instructed them to flee from law enforcement. In handing down the sentence, Judge Tipton noted the risk of vehicular pursuits in alien smuggling events and the role Silva-Lopez played in the three deaths.

The investigation revealed Silva-Lopez had been operating an alien smuggling ring in the Rio Grande Valley as far back as June 2023. He had utilized various social media platforms to recruit drivers, including juveniles as young as 14 years of age. 

Silva-Lopez would track the location of the drivers, direct them to pick up points to retrieve aliens who had just crossed the Rio Grande River, and take them to various stash houses across the Rio Grande Valley. During the smuggling events, Silva-Lopez instructed drivers to flee from law enforcement. On two occasions, the load vehicles fled from authorities in high-speed pursuits and ultimately caught on fire. A third pursuit resulted in speeds of over 120 miles per hour. 

On Jan. 17, 2024, Silva-Lopez coordinated another smuggling event with a juvenile driver. Authorities observed the driver pick up two aliens from the river and attempted to conduct a traffic stop, but the driver fled. Several minutes later, they discovered a crash nearby. The vehicle had lost control around a sharp turn and struck a parked trailer. The driver and two passengers ultimately succumbed to their injuries. During the event, the driver had been on the phone with Silva-Lopez. 

Law enforcement determined Silva-Lopez had coordinated at least 21 separate alien smuggling events from June 2023 through September 2024. 

To date, a total of 20 drivers have been prosecuted and sentenced.

Silva-Lopez 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 Devin V. Walker prosecuted the case.

McALLEN, Texas – A 52-year-old Michigan man has been ordered to federal prison for possession with the intent to distribute 14 kilograms of cocaine.

Jose Taurus Burks pleaded guilty March 31, 2025.

U.S. District Judge Drew B. Tipton has ordered Burks to serve 120 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by five years of supervised release.

On May 9, 2023, Walter Lee Houze drove a Volkswagen Tiguan to the Border Patrol checkpoint in Sarita. Burks was in the passenger seat. Authorities referred the vehicle to secondary inspection where a K-9 alerted to its rear cargo area.

A search revealed 14.26 kilograms of cocaine concealed inside a black suitcase intermingled with clothing and laundry detergent beads belonging to Houze.

Burks admitted he was going to be paid to travel from Michigan to assist Houze in purchasing and transporting cocaine from Hidalgo County.

He has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

Houze, 61, of Chesterfield, Michigan, was sentenced Aug. 12, 2025, to 10 years in federal prison to be immediately followed by five years of supervised release.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with the assistance of Border Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexa D. Parcell prosecuted the case.

HOUSTON – A 55-year-old Conroe resident has admitted to operating an illegal waterfowl guiding operation.

Richard Lee Bowers admitted he invited members of the public to duck hunt on his property in Walker County, known as the Pull Two Ranch, where he illegally baited a pond with corn. Bowers had his paying clients hunt over the bait where they harvested various species of ducks. 

Ducks are covered by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and may not be legally hunted with the aid of bait.  

On Nov. 18, 2023, authorities conducted surveillance at Pull Two Ranch and observed duck blinds near the pond which had freshly spread corn clearly visible in the water. The next morning, they confronted Bowers and a group who was hunting over the corn. Bowers falsely claimed the corn was for hogs, even though all the corn was underwater.  

The investigation revealed several hunters who had paid to hunt at Pull Two Ranch reported that baiting the pond with corn was standard procedure. One had questioned Bowers about the illegal baiting, and Bowers responded with “that’s how we get all the ducks.”

Bowers is a taxidermist by trade with a long history of state fish and game violations. 

Judge George C. Hanks Jr. accepted the plea and set sentencing for Nov. 9. At that time, Bowers faces up to five years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine. 

He was permitted to remain on bond pending that hearing. 

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Texas Parks and Wildlife Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert S. Johnson is prosecuting the case. 

HOUSTON – Former Houston Police Department officer Gerald M. Goines, 62, admitted he made materially false statements in an affidavit to obtain a search warrant that led to the botched Harding Street raid in 2019, resulting in a shootout that killed two and injured four HPD officers.

To obtain the warrant, Goines falsely claimed a confidential informant had purchased heroin from a resident at the home and provided it to him. Goines later admitted he knew the information was false.

He also made other false statements in the affidavit, including claims that others had purchased drugs from residents of the home in the approximately three weeks leading up to the warrant. 

“Good policing is hard, and good cops always want to accomplish their mission to keep our communities safe and bring justice to bad guys,” said U.S. Attorney Aaron Reitz. “But ends don't justify the means. Here, Goines broke public trust, repeatedly lied, and his deceit bore evil fruit: people got hurt and killed. I support our local, state, and federal law enforcement, but none of us get to commit crooked acts and avoid accountability.”

“Gerald Goines was a senior narcotics police officer who knowingly violated departmental policy and the law. He held a position of trust within this community, and he violated that trust by abusing his authority and lying to evade accountability for his actions. In this case, Goines’ actions cost the lives of two innocent people,” said Special Agent in Charge Jason Hudson of the FBI Houston Field Office. “Color of law violations are some of the hardest to prove, but they are crucial to maintaining public trust in law enforcement. We hope today’s outcome serves as justice for his victims and a reminder that law enforcement officers are not above the law.”

U.S. District Court Judge George Hanks accepted the plea and will impose sentencing Nov. 9. At that time, Goines faces up to 10 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum possible fine. 

Goines has been and will remain in custody pending sentencing. He was previously convicted in Harris County on first degree murder charges and is serving a 60-year prison sentence. 

Former HPD officer Steven O. Bryant, 53, and Patricia Ann Garcia, 60, both of Houston, previously pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice and providing false information, respectively.

FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Winter is prosecuting the case.

HOUSTON – Another 248 people have been charged, including 227 illegal aliens, in 245 cases involving immigration and border security-related crimes from Aug. 21-27. 

A total of 172 criminal complaints were filed for felony reentry after prior removal, while another 43 people face charges of illegal entry. Most of those illegal aliens have prior felonies such as narcotics, violent crime, immigration offenses, and more. In addition, 26 people have been charged with human smuggling which includes 12 illegal aliens themselves. The remaining seven cases relate to other immigration crimes.

One of the charged illegal aliens is a Guatemalan male with a prior conviction for sexual assault of a child, according to the allegations. Law enforcement allegedly discovered Cesar Augusto Sanchez-Cristales near Roma, despite the fact he had been removed from the country in 2017. Four others, all Mexican nationals, were also allegedly found in the McAllen area. Eduardo Hernandez-Sanchez, Wilber Torres-Herrera, Agustin Yanez-Reynaga, and Francisco Giovanni Garcia-Hernandez had also been previously removed and have prior convictions for conspiracy to distribute cocaine or other controlled substances, multiple driving while intoxicated convictions, or burglary, according to the new criminal complaints against them. 

If convicted of the new felony illegal reentry into the United States, each faces up to 20 years in federal prison. 

In addition to the new cases, a Laredo woman was sentenced in a failed attempt to smuggler a toddler into the United States. Anahi Rosas tried to use her own child’s Texas birth certificate and falsely claimed the unknown three-year-old boy was her son. At secondary inspection, the boy told authorities Rosas was not his mother and that he did not know where his parents were. At the sentencing hearing, the court heard that Rosas planned to leave the toddler with an unknown smuggler without knowing where the child would be taken. She was ordered to serve 36 months in federal prison. 

In Brownsville, a 36-year-old illegal alien from Matamoros, Mexico, received a 63-month sentence for unlawfully being in the United States after prior deportation. Omar Navarro-Hinojosa had been the passenger in a vehicle that was traveling at a high rate of speed. He attempted to flee on foot after the driver stopped the vehicle when law enforcement conducted a traffic stop. Authorities quickly took him into custody. Navarro-Hinojosa admitted he paid $3,000 to be smuggled into the United States. While awaiting sentencing, he was also involved in physical altercation with another inmate which resulted in medical treatment for both men. Because of this incident, he did not receive credit for acceptance of responsibility for the illegal reentry conviction at the time of sentencing, which resulted in the over five-year prison sentence.  

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, as well as the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives with additional assistance from state and local law enforcement partners.

Under current leadership, public safety and a secure border are the top priorities for the Southern 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.

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 30-year-old Corpus Christi resident has been ordered to federal prison for conspiring to possess to distribute meth smuggled into the United States from Mexico.

Tommie Lee Gutierrez pleaded guilty Jan. 29.

U.S. District Judge David S. Morales has now ordered Gutierrez to serve 300 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by five years of supervised release. At the hearing Aug. 26, the court heard additional evidence that Gutierrez is a member of the Tango Corpitos street gang and a three-time convicted felon. Judge Morales also heard that Gutierrez had made a call planning his return to participate in this drug trafficking organization while in custody on another unrelated felony. 

The organization received meth in the Coastal Bend area in multi-kilogram quantities secreted in vehicles and loads of consumer goods such as cabinetry that had passed across the border into the United States from Mexico. Gutierrez was responsible for receiving vehicle loads, removing the bundles of meth from various natural voids in the vehicles, and repacking the same vehicles with cash proceeds from prior sales. Co-conspirators then drove vehicles back into Mexico to pay the suppliers. 

On at least one occasion, Gutierrez wrecked an abandoned meth-laden vehicle on a public street in Corpus Christi before it had been completely unloaded. This left kilograms of meth in the drivers-side door which were later discovered at the city impound lot.

He has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brittany Jensen and Amanda Gould prosecuted the case.

This prosecution is 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 committed by these organizations, 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 South Texas comprises agents and officers from Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations; FBI; Drug Enforcement Administration; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; U.S. Marshals Service; U.S. Postal Inspection Service; Department of Transportation; IRS Criminal Investigation; 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.

BROWNSVILLE, Texas – A 27-year-old man has been sentenced for possession with intent to deliver cocaine and conspiracy to launder monetary instruments.

Eduardo Rodriguez Jr. pleaded guilty Nov. 5, 2024.

U.S. District Judge Rolando Olvera ordered Rodriguez to serve 125 months in federal prison at a hearing Aug. 26, which will be immediately followed by five years of supervised release.

The investigation began in January 2024 when authorities identified Rodriguez as a large-scale cocaine trafficker coordinating the smuggling, transportation, and distribution of multi-kilogram quantities of cocaine from Mexico into the United States.

On March 1, 2024, law enforcement discovered an expected cocaine delivery at a residence in Brownsville. During surveillance operations, they observed Daniel Roldan enter the residence, return with a large box, and place it in a vehicle.

Authorities seized the box and discovered approximately 24 kilograms of cocaine. Evidence showed Rodriguez coordinated the shipment, which was destined for New York.

Roldan, 39, Brownsville, and Andres Malave III, 45, Bronx, New York, pleaded guilty in the case and have also been sentenced.

Rodriguez has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

The Drug Enforcement Administration, Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations, and FBI conducted the investigation with assistance from Brownsville Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Oscar Ponce prosecuted the case.

This operation is 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 toward identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, 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 South Texas comprises agents and officers from Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations; the FBI; the Drug Enforcement Administration; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; the U.S. Marshals Service; the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; the Department of Transportation/IRS; Interpol/the 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. 

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 50-year-old man has been ordered to prison for his role in the distribution of cocaine.

Michael Casas pleaded guilty May 27.

U.S. District Judge David S. Morales has now ordered Casas to serve 60 months in federal prison followed by four years of supervised release.

The investigation revealed Casas was planning to sell two kilograms of cocaine March 17. On that date, law enforcement attempted to conduct a traffic stop on his vehicle. Casas initially pulled over but accelerated as authorities approached, leading them in a high-speed pursuit on Highway 44 in Corpus Christi.

At one point, Casas was traveling in excess of 100 miles per hour.  

During that time, authorities observed Casas throw a brick‑shaped package from the vehicle. He eventually stopped and surrendered.

Law enforcement recovered the package and found it to contain two kilograms of cocaine.

Casas was permitted to remain on bond and voluntarily surrender to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

The Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation with assistance from the Corpus Christi Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Griffith prosecuted the case.