AUSTIN, Texas – An Austin man and two co-conspirators were sentenced in a federal court in Austin for their roles in the distribution of fentanyl resulting in death. According to court documents, David Lee Jr., 46, of Austin, Virginia Zepeda, 43, of Austin, and Jackie Lynne Chester, 37, of Taylor...

LAREDO, Texas – A 35-year-old Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer working at the Port of Entry in Laredo has been arrested, announced Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Special Agent in Charge Daniel C. Comeaux of the Houston Division and U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. Emanuel Celedon is set to make...

PLANO, Texas – A Laredo man pleaded guilty to federal drug trafficking violations in the Eastern District of Texas on the day his jury trial was set to begin, announced Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Special Agent in Charge Daniel C. Comeaux of the Houston Division and U.S. Attorney Damien M...

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 34-year-old man has pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute more than four kilograms of cocaine, announced Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Special Agent in Charge Daniel C. Comeaux of the Houston Division and U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. On Oct. 4, Elias Garcia attempted...

HOUSTON – A 33-year-old man has been sentenced to federal prison following his conviction for conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute nearly 4,000 grams of drugs, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. Jorge Delgado-Santacruz pleaded guilty Nov. 29, 2022. U.S. District Judge Lee Rosenthal has now ordered Delgado-Santacruz...

WASHINGTON – A federal jury in Beaumont, Texas, convicted a Romanian national today for plotting to traffic hundreds of kilograms of cocaine from the United States in a scheme that also included money laundering, arms trafficking, and an attempt to assassinate rival gang members. According to court documents and evidence...

McALLEN, Texas – A 50-year-old Mexican national has been ordered to federal prison for possession with intent to distribute 88.5 kilograms of cocaine, announced Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Special Agent in Charge Daniel C. Comeaux of the Houston Division and U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. Faustino Perez Luna pleaded guilty...

HOUSTON – Two Houston men have admitted to holding a victim hostage at gunpoint, beating and threatening him with death, announced Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Special Agent in Charge Daniel C. Comeaux of the Houston Division and U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. Noe Hernandez, 39, helped kidnap and hold the...

BEAUMONT, Texas – A Lufkin man has been sentenced to federal prison for trafficking drugs in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Special Agent in Charge Daniel C. Comeaux of the Houston Division and U.S. Attorney Damien M. Diggs. Daniel Lopez, 38, pleaded guilty to conspiracy...

LAREDO, Texas – Three Laredo residents have been sentenced for their roles in a conspiracy to distribute cocaine and launder money, announced Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Special Agent in Charge Daniel C. Comeaux of the Houston Division and U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. Cesar Mendiola, 57, Rafael Rodriguez, 63, and...