Eleven Meth, Cocaine Traffickers Charged in Amarillo
AMARILLO, TX - Eleven alleged drug traffickers were arrested and charged in Amarillo, announced DEA Special Agent in Charge of the Dallas Field Division Eduardo A. Chávez.
The defendants – who allegedly conspired to deal hundreds of grams of methamphetamine and cocaine – were arrested on Tuesday, January 5, in a bust led by the DEA Amarillo Resident Office. During the operation, law enforcement seized more than 25 guns as well as kilogram quantities of drugs and U.S. currency.
"Tuesday’s city-wide, cooperative law enforcement efforts to disrupt the methamphetamine and cocaine trafficking in our city was a tremendous success,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Eduardo A. Chávez. “The Yellow Rose of Texas is safer today as we bring justice to those drug traffickers who want to poison our communities and profit from those who struggle with addiction. DEA Amarillo’s efforts will never waver as we seek to protect the neighborhoods we call home.”
The majority of the defendants made their initial appearances Wednesday morning before U.S. Magistrate Judge Lee Ann Reno.
Those charged in the 14-count indictment include:
- Christopher David Bell: conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, distribution of methamphetamine
- Randall Emery Bull: conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, distribution of methamphetamine
- Summer Nichole Wilcox: conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine
- Arizona Michelle Wood: conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, distribution of methamphetamine, unlawful use of a communications facility
- Ruben Gomez-Bastida: conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, distribution of methamphetamine
- Sergio Segovia: conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, distribution of methamphetamine
- Jimmy Pancheco: conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute cocaine
- Julia Annette Machado: conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, distribution of methamphetamine
- Katreyna Ann Betancourt: conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, distribution of methamphetamine
- Brenda Joynce Monroe: conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, distribution of methamphetamine
- Billy Loy Holliday: conspiracy to distribute controlled substances
If convicted, the lead defendant, 44-year-old Christopher Bell, faces up to life in federal prison. Other defendants face between four years to life in prison. Three defendants charged in the indictment remain fugitives.
“Combatting the scourge of illegal drug trafficking is one of the Justice Department’s top priorities,” said U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Erin Nealy Cox. “We are proud to have collaborated with so many law enforcement agencies to disrupt the flow of meth and cocaine and to take so many high-level dealers off the streets of Amarillo.”
Drug trafficking and the public safety risks associated with it is a top priority for HSI Dallas and we will continue to allocate substantial resources to combat those responsible,” said Ryan L. Spradlin, Special Agent in Charge of HSI's Dallas Field Office.”
An indictment is merely an allegation of criminal conduct, not evidence. Defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
The DEA and HSI conducted the investigation with the assistance of the FBI, the BATF, the Potter County Sheriff’s Office, the Randall County Sheriff’s Office, the Lubbock County Sheriff’s Office, the Texas Department of Public Safety, the Amarillo Police Department, the Potter and Randall County District Attorney’s Offices, the Texas Anti-Gang Unit, and the United States Marshal’s Service. The Texoma High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) program, the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) Southwest Region, and the National Guard Counter Drug unit provided operational support.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Anna Marie Bell is prosecuting the case.
