LAREDO, Texas – A 32-year-old Mexican national who unlawfully resided in Laredo has been convicted of unlawful possession of a machine gun and drug trafficking, announced The DEA Houston Field Division Special Agent in Charge Jonathan C. Pullen and U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. The jury deliberated for approximately two...

ARIZONA – The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration is intensifying its fight against the deadly threat of synthetic opioids with the launch of Fentanyl Free America, a comprehensive enforcement initiative and public awareness campaign aimed at reducing both the supply and demand for fentanyl. This effort underscores DEA's unwavering commitment to...

Phoenix, Ariz. – Jose Guadalupe Tapia-Quintero, 54, of San Francisco de Tacuichamona, Sinaloa, Mexico pleaded guilty on November 17, 2025 for Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine with Intent to Import into the United States and Conspiracy to Commit Concealment Money Laundering. Sentencing is scheduled for February 2, 2026, before United States...

PHOENIX, Ariz. – Last week, Jose Ismael Castro Leon, 47, a Mexican national living in the United States illegally, was charged by federal criminal complaint in Phoenix, Arizona with Possession with the Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine and Fentanyl. According to the complaint, investigators with the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) East...

PHOENIX, Ariz. – Last week, John Avendano, 21, of Phoenix, Arizona, was charged by federal criminal complaint in Phoenix, Arizona with Possession with the Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine. According to the complaint, on September 22, a Task Force Officer with the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) East Valley Drug Enforcement Task...

PHOENIX, Ariz. – Jorge Anaya-Valencia, 48, of Guyamas, Sonora, Mexico, who was unlawfully living in Arizona, was sentenced on September 23, by United States District Judge Krissa M. Lanham to 180 months in prison for Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine. Anaya-Valencia’s co-defendants, all illegal aliens, were previously sentenced in this case...

BROWNSVILLE, Texas – A 34-year-old South Texas woman has admitted she conspired to possess with intent to deliver more than five kilograms of cocaine, announced the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Special Agent in Charge of the Houston Field Division Jonathan C. Pullen and U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. Upon her...

PHOENIX, Ariz. – On September 17, Mariano Gomez Padilla, 28, Eduardo Garcia Lopez, 21, and Abel Martinez Valenzuela, 25, all Mexican nationals living in Arizona, were charged by federal criminal complaint with Conspiracy to Possess with the Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine. According to the complaint, on September 17, Drug Enforcement...

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 50-year-old Orange resident has been ordered to federal prison for possession with intent to distribute over 23 kilograms of cocaine, announced Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Special Agent in Charge of the Houston Division Jonathan C. Pullen and U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. Pablo Garcia Ortiz...

HOUSTON - A Mexican national and high-ranking, violent member of the Los Zetas cartel was sentenced today to over 31 years in prison for conspiring to manufacture and distribute large quantities of cocaine and marijuana. He was also ordered to pay $26.5 million in forfeiture. “Eleazar Medina-Rojas used extreme violence...