EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. – A U.S. District judge sentenced a California man to 21 year and 10 months in prison after he admitted to leading a drug conspiracy ring targeting communities in southern Illinois. Thomas Hines, 33, of Los Angeles, pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute...

KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A federal grand jury in Kansas City returned an indictment charging multiple people for their alleged involvement in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine within the state of Kansas and elsewhere between February 2020 and July 2023. According to court documents, Jose Roman, 43, Marcos Valencia Jr...

BENTON, Ill. – A U.S. District judge sentenced the final defendant of five total co-conspirators for his involvement in a large-scale methamphetamine operation in southern Illinois. Robert Smith, 42, of Los Angeles, California, was sentenced to 27 years in federal prison. Smith pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to...

LAREDO, Texas – Four Laredo residents have entered guilty pleas for their roles in a conspiracy to distribute cocaine and launder money, announced Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Special Agent in Charge Daniel C. Comeaux, Houston Division and U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. Cesar Mendiola, 57, Jose Angel Rodriguez, Jr., 60...

BOSTON – Two men were convicted today by a federal jury in Boston for operating a large-scale international fentanyl trafficking and money laundering conspiracy. Fermin Castillo, 43, of Boston, and Andre Heraux Martinez, 24, of the Dominican Republic, were convicted following a seven-day jury trial of conspiracy to distribute over...

BILLINGS, Mt. — Ten people were arrested on allegations of trafficking methamphetamine on the Crow and Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservations and in Yellowstone, Big Horn and Rosebud counties earlier this month. Seven defendants face charges in a multi-count indictment alleging meth trafficking, firearms and money laundering crimes. Four additional defendants...

BOSTON – A Colombian man pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston to his role in a drug trafficking conspiracy connected with organized crime in the Republic of Colombia. Mario Zapata Velez, 41, of Medellín, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit extortion, conspiracy to commit money laundering, conspiracy to...

EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. – A U.S. District Court judge sentenced an East St. Louis man to 16 years and six months in prison after he pled guilty to several drug charges for his involvement in a national trafficking ring as the Metro East St. Louis leader. Jeffrey Taylor, 40...

CHICAGO — The wives of convicted drug traffickers Pedro Flores and Margarito Flores have each pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. VIVIANNA LOPEZ, also known as “Mia Flores,” 42, and VALERIE GAYTAN, also known as “Olivia Flores,” 47, both confirmed in their plea agreements that...

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Two men have been sentenced in federal court for their roles in a conspiracy to distribute large amounts of methamphetamine in the Springfield, Mo., area. Christian Roman, 39, of Springfield, and Nathan Bay, 49, of Bois D’Arc, Mo., were sentenced in separate hearings before U.S. District Judge...