Drug Trafficking Organization Leader Sent to Prison for 30 years for Large-Scale Distribution Scheme
HOUSTON – A 40-year-old Houston man has been ordered to federal prison for his role in the distribution of multiple narcotics, announced Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Special Agent in Charge Brian Leardo of the Houston Division and U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Fredrick Jermaine Dunbar pleaded guilty Oct. 15, 2025.
U.S. District Andrew S. Hanen has now ordered Dunbar to serve 360 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by five years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court considered additional evidence showing Dunbar led and organized a large-scale drug trafficking organization, recruited others to transport narcotics and possessed firearms in furtherance of his drug trafficking activities. The court also noted Dunbar’s leadership role in the conspiracy and the significant quantities of drugs involved.
The investigation began in early 2020 when law enforcement identified Dunbar as a supplier of methamphetamine, cocaine and heroin in the Houston area.
In April 2020, Dunbar arranged the purchase of two kilograms of methamphetamine for redistribution to a co-conspirator.
Over the course of the investigation, authorities seized approximately 12 kilograms of narcotics – one, five and six kilograms of cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine, respectively.
To date, 12 others have been convicted and sentenced in connection with the conspiracy.
Dunbar will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, Texas Department of Public Safety, Harris County Sherriff's Office and Houston Police Department conducted the investigation.
This operation is now 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 these organizations commit, 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.
