Northern District of Texas

Dallas — A federal grand jury indicted a Dallas man July 31 for allegedly orchestrating a fraudulent scheme involving solar panel sales and illicitly obtaining homeowner loans announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas, Ryan Raybould.

Andres Jesus Linares‑Rea, 27, was charged in a four‑count indictment with two counts of wire fraud and two counts of aggravated identity theft. 

According to the indictment, Linares‑Rea contracted with solar engineering, procurement and construction companies (“Solar EPC contractors”) that marketed and installed rooftop solar panels. He sold solar systems door‑to‑door and assisted customers in securing financing through a fintech lender.  

The indictment alleges that between September 2022 and December 2024, Linares‑Rea devised a scheme to fraudulently obtain loans in the names of unsuspecting homeowners. In several instances, he allegedly submitted loan applications and electronically signed loan agreements without the customers’ knowledge or consent and added co‑borrowers without their authorization. 

Linares‑Rea allegedly misled homeowners by falsely claiming the solar panels were “free” due to government subsidies or the homeowners’ financial status. In at least one case, he is accused of obtaining a loan for a solar panel installation despite the homeowner repeatedly stating he did not want solar panels. 

Once the fraudulent loans were funded, the lending company transferred loan proceeds to Solar EPC contractors, who then paid Linares‑Rea commissions inflated by these unauthorized transactions. 

The indictment lists specific interstate wire transfers made in support of the scheme, including a $71,754.79 transfer on November 19, 2023, to fund a loan allegedly obtained without Victim 1’s consent, and a $57,173.25 transfer on March 14, 2023, for a loan allegedly obtained without Victim 2’s consent. 

Linares‑Rea is also charged with two counts of aggravated identity theft for allegedly using Victim 1’s and Victim 2’s electronic signatures without lawful authority in connection with the wire fraud scheme. 

If convicted, Linares‑Rea faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years on each of the wire fraud counts and two years on each of the aggravated identity theft counts. The indictment also includes a notice of criminal forfeiture. 

The FBI Dallas Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Marty Basu and Elise Aldendifer from the Fraud section are prosecuting the case.

An indictment is merely an allegation of criminal conduct, not evidence. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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ABILENE, Texas —United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas, Ryan Raybould, recently visited Dyess Air Force Base and Taylor County Sheriff’s Office to reaffirm the collaborative mission between the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Dyess leadership and local community partners. During the visits, he engaged in strategic discussions on national security, community safety, and support for military families.

At Dyess on July 24, USA Raybould and AFB leadership discussed ways to strengthen legal cooperation and information‑sharing among federal prosecutors, the 7th Bomb Wing’s legal office, and local law enforcement agencies. Their shared goal is to streamline investigations and prosecutions while enhancing support for victims across both military and civilian communities.

USA Raybould also reiterated the Northern District of Texas’ commitment to Dyess AFB’s national security mission. While touring the flightline and learning about the 7th Bomb Wing of the Global Strike Command’s premier and strategic missions of the B1 Bomber and C130, he highlighted the base’s strategic role in global deterrence efforts, emphasizing continued federal dedication to safeguarding critical infrastructure and ensuring the safety and readiness of Airmen and their families.

While meeting with Taylor County Sheriff Ricky Bishop that afternoon, USA Raybould emphasized the increased importance of joint public safety initiatives that unite the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Dyess AFB, local law enforcement and civic organizations as Abilene is in the midst of sustained industry and population growth. By working together, these partners are proactively addressing issues such as crime, violence, substance abuse, and cyber threats—challenges that affect the installation, the city of Abilene, and the wider region.

In response to the meetings, USA Raybould reflected:

“The men and women of Dyess Air Force Base exemplify professionalism, courage, and unwavering commitment to our nation. Their service, both at home and around the world, makes it possible for the United States to remain at the forefront of air offensive and defensive operations. As U.S. Attorney for all 100 counties in the Northern District of Texas, one of my highest responsibilities is protecting them, their families, and our communities. Working closely with local partners like the Taylor County Sheriff’s Office and supporting joint public safety initiatives, will not only allow these brave Airmen to stay focused on being the tip of the spear for America’s national security but also allow every resident of Taylor County to enjoy a safer and more secure community.

SAN ANGELO, Texas —United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas, Ryan Raybould, announced that Devin Maurice Harmon, 51, from California, was sentenced to life in federal prison on July 31 for a series of crimes involving the exploitation, trafficking, and abuse of a minor over several years.

On April 10, a federal jury found Harmon guilty of the following offenses: •    Enticement of a minor to travel to engage in prostitution 
•    Enticement of a minor 
•    Sex trafficking by force, fraud, and coercion 
•    Sex trafficking of a minor 
•    Transportation of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity 
•    Two counts of tampering and attempted tampering with a witness

“My office is laser focused on prosecuting those who harm our children and ensuring they are held accountable for their horrendous acts,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould. “For years, this defendant preyed on a vulnerable child, exploiting her fear and isolation for his own gratification and profit. He used violence, manipulation, and coercion to trap her in a cycle of abuse and then tried to silence her when law enforcement intervened. Today’s life sentence ensures this predator will never again victimize another child.”

“The life sentence imposed on this defendant demonstrate the seriousness of his crimes,” said FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock. “The FBI and our law enforcement partners remain committed to protecting our communities from child predators and will continue to work to ensure that those responsible for such acts are brought to justice.”

According to evidence presented at trial, law enforcement first encountered Harmon and the minor victim, identified as Jane Doe 1, on July 4, 2024, after Texas Department of Public Safety troopers, with assistance from the Texas Rangers, responded to an abandoned vehicle in Crockett County. Troopers discovered that the Crockett County Sheriff’s Office had provided a courtesy transport of an adult male, a minor female, and an infant due to a vehicle breakdown. The individuals were transported by CCSO to the Economy Inn Hotel in Ozona, Crockett County, Texas. Inside the hotel room, troopers discovered Harmon with the 16 year old victim, who was listed as a nationally registered missing juvenile.

Investigators learned that Harmon had met Jane Doe 1 when she was 14 and homeless in California. Over the next two years, Harmon used manipulation, violence, and coercion to control her, repeatedly sexually assaulting her and forcing her into commercial sex acts with adult men across the greater Los Angeles area. Jane Doe 1 reported engaging in sex acts with approximately 100 men during this period, all arranged by Harmon, who kept the proceeds.

Harmon also used Jane Doe 1’s cell phone to book hotel rooms, communicate with customers, known as “Johns,” and receive payments from them for the commercial sex acts. Forensic analysis confirmed Harmon accessed his Facebook account from her device and used it to facilitate prostitution.

Jane Doe 1 stated that when they were apprehended by law enforcement in Texas, they were on their way to Louisiana because Harmon told her that the people in Louisiana would pay her much more money and convinced her that it would be a good idea.

Throughout the investigation, Harmon attempted to manipulate and threaten Jane Doe 1 and her guardian, resulting in his convictions for witness tampering.

A federal grand jury returned a superseding indictment against Harmon on the aforementioned charges, Oct. 8. 2025, and a federal jury found him guilty on April 10. U.S. District Judge James Wesley Hendrix sentenced Harmon to life in federal prison and ordered restitution of $5,250.00.

The FBI, Texas Rangers, the Texas Department of Public Safety, and the Crockett County Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation. Voice of Hope—Lubbock and the Victim-Witness Unit of the United States Attorney’s Office provided victim services and support throughout the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Whitney James from the Abilene Division and Callie Woolam from the Lubbock Division prosecuted the case.

The Justice Department is committed to combating child sexual exploitation and brought this case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit https://www.justice.gov/psc. The Department partners with and oversees funding grants for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), which receives and shares tips about possible child sexual exploitation received through its 24/7 hotline at 1-800-THE-LOST and on missingkids.org.

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FT WORTH, Texas — United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas, Ryan Raybould, announced that William Thomas Engle, 68, of Southlake, Texas was sentenced to nine years in federal prison on July 30 for defrauding individuals out of more than $8 million by promising them assistance in obtaining loans for their small businesses. 

The former attorney was also ordered to pay $8,274,980 in restitution and forfeit a Jeep Wrangler and several pieces of jewelry.

“William Engle built an elaborate scheme that preyed on small business owners seeking legitimate financial help,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould. “These victims were working to build their futures, and instead of the promised support, Engle fed them repeated lies and forged documents while siphoning off millions from them to fuel his own greed. This sentence demonstrates our commitment to protecting the public and holding accountable those who defraud Main Street Americans.”

“The sentence imposed in this case is a result of our commitment to hold accountable those who abuse their positions for personal gain,” said FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock. “We encourage the public to thoroughly research investment opportunities and to contact us immediately if they suspect fraudulent activity.”

Court documents reflect that from 2020 to 2022, Engle engaged in a scheme to defraud customers by promising them multi-million-dollar loans for their businesses so long as they provided up-front funding in the form of “Good Faith Accounts.” At trial, victims testified that Engle promised them that their funds would be held in secure accounts and would be returned to them regardless of whether the loan was funded. Customers testified that they transferred upwards of $2 million to Engle, expecting their money to be kept in these accounts until their loans were funded. Engle, in turn, sent the customers bank statements purporting to show their funds housed in these secure accounts. Evidence presented at trial showed the bank statements were fraudulent, and Engle had transferred the customer funds to his personal bank accounts. 

Engle used customer funds to purchase personal luxury items such as a yacht, vehicles, and jewelry. None of the money was ever returned to the victims. Instead, Engle provided the victims with false excuses to explain why the loans had never been funded.
 

Engle was charged in September 2025 with wire fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and transactional money laundering. The defendant proceeded to trial in January 2026, but after two days of testimony from several victims, Engle pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud. U.S. District Judge Mark T. Pittman sentenced him to 108 months in federal prison.

The FBI’s Fort Worth Resident Agency conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brandie Wade from the Violent Crimes Section and Marty Basu from the Fraud Section prosecuted the case.
 

AMARILLO, Texas — United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas, Ryan Raybould, announced that Mason Allan McCarty, 51, was indicted by a federal grand jury on July 23, and charged with possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, felon in possession of a firearm, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

According to the criminal complaint filed in the case, it alleges that Amarillo Police Department officers executed a search warrant at the Traveler Motel in Amarillo on June 30. McCarty, the target of the search warrant, was detained, and during the search, officers found approximately 28 grams of suspected methamphetamine in his pocket.

Inside the motel room, officers found an additional bag containing roughly 29 grams of suspected methamphetamine, packaged similarly to the methamphetamine found in McCarty’s pocket. Officers also recovered a Bersa .380 caliber pistol and a Ruger .22 caliber pistol from inside the room.

As described in the complaint, APD officers arrested McCarty and advised him of his constitutional rights. McCarty, who has multiple prior felony convictions, admitted to possessing both firearms and to distributing about 28 pounds of methamphetamine during the last several months.

Federal Law enforcement took custody of McCarty from state authorities on July 13. He remains in custody pending further court proceedings. If convicted, McCarty faces a maximum possible penalty of life imprisonment.

The FBI and the Amarillo Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Anna Marie Bell from the Amarillo Branch Office is prosecuting the case.

An indictment is merely an allegation of criminal conduct, not evidence. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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FORT WORTH, Texas — United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas, Ryan Raybould, announced that Clayton Lloyd Iley, a 41-year-old Stephenville, Texas businessman, pleaded guilty to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft offenses on June 17. These offenses arose from a scheme wherein he illegally obtained credit cards and offered a scam loan program to victims. 

“My office will not stand by and allow criminals to scam Americans out of their hard-earned money without consequence,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould. “Fraud doesn’t just harm an individual — it disrupts families and communities across all 100 counties of the Northern District of Texas. Its effects are felt most deeply by those who are vulnerable, including elderly residents who are too often targeted by schemes designed to exploit their trust. Protecting every community in this district is my unwavering commitment, and we will aggressively pursue anyone who preys on the innocent and work to ensure victims receive the justice and restitution they deserve.”

“This plea demonstrates the lengths these criminals will go to defraud members of our communities,” said FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock. “The FBI and our partners remain committed to identifying and investigating the perpetrators of these fraudulent schemes and encourage the public to notify the FBI if they suspect they are the victims of fraud.”

According to court records, Iley operated an insurance brokerage business named Clayton Texas Legacy Insurance Group, LLC from its headquarters in Cross Plains, Texas and offered home, auto, life, health, farm & ranch, and commercial insurance policies to the public. 

Court documents show from January 2020 through May 2026, Iley used at least two entities he controlled, Texas Legacy Holdings and Enterprises, LLC and Spartan Global Security, LLC dba as “Black Eagle PMC,” to conduct financial transactions. Texas Legacy Holdings operated as a holding company and was used to conduct financial transactions. Spartan Global purported to offer private security services, commercial security services, corporate security services, and private military contracting services. 

Iley defrauded victims by, among other things:

• Falsely representing to victims that he could invest their funds in a “Bonded Note” loan program he claimed was provided by the U.S. Department of Defense to private military contractors, when in reality, Iley knew the relevant loan program did not exist. During the relevant time period, Iley collected over $2 million based on this misrepresentation and used the funds to pay his own personal expenses and to execute other parts of his fraudulent scheme
• Falsely representing to specific Texas Legacy Insurance clients that he would accept client funds and cause Texas Legacy Insurance to initiate requested insurance policies on their behalf, when in reality, Iley knew he would accept their insurance premium payment funds, fail to open requested insurance policies, and instead intended to use their funds to pay his own personal expenses and to fund the relevant fraudulent scheme
• Providing the victims’ personal identifying information (e.g., first name, last name, etc.) to financial institutions to fraudulently secure credit cards bearing the names of those specific victims without their knowledge or authority and then using the resulting credit cards to deposit funds into Spartan Global bank accounts and claim the transactions were gross receipts for the business; and charge personal expenses and payments towards the purchase of the vehicles.

As part of his plea agreement, Iley agreed to forfeit property over 90 exotic collector vehicles obtained with funds from his fraudulent scheme. To date, federal investigators have seized the following vehicles, which will be sold to fund restitution owed to the victims of Iley’s fraud scheme: 

• 1968 Pontiac Firebird
• 1969 Chevrolet Camaro
• 1973 Plymouth Coupe
• 1974 Chevrolet Camaro
• 1979 Pontiac Trans AM
• 1982 Chevrolet Camaro
• 1989 Humvee
• 1990 BMY M923A (military vehicle)
• 1993 AM General M923 (military vehicle)
• 2006 Dodge Viper
• 2012 Lamborghini Aventador
• 2013 Toyota
• 2014 Dodge Viper
• 2015 Lamborghini Huracan
• 2016 Ferrari 488
• 2016 Mercedes Benz AMG Coupe
• 2018 Ferrari 488
• 2021 Porsche Taycan
• 2022 Maserati Coupe
• 2022 Maserati MC20
• 2022 Maserati MC20
• 2024 Dodge Ram

Iley was charged through an Information with one count of wire fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft. His sentencing is set for Oct. 1, before U.S. District Judge Mark T. Pittman. Iley faces a maximum penalty of up to 20 years in federal prison for the wire fraud offense and a mandatory sentence of two years in prison for the aggravated identity theft offense. 

The FBI’s Fort Worth Resident Agency, the Texas Rangers, the Texas Department of Public Safety, and the Stephenville Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mac McDonald is prosecuting the case.

DALLAS — United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas, Ryan Raybould, announced that Earnest Ray Miller a.k.a. “Q”, a 54-year-old Dallas man, was sentenced to 25 years in federal prison on drug and gun charges on July 24.

Miller is a multi-convicted felon who operated a drug distribution business out of the Cole Manor Motel previously located near Dallas Love Field. The hotel was demolished on June 17, following the federal criminal investigation and a criminal nuisance lawsuit filed by the City of Dallas after the joint investigation revealed that the motel had become a notorious hub for drug trafficking, violent crime and prostitution.

“This defendant contributed to the fentanyl crisis by running a distribution network primarily out of the Cole Manor Hotel,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould. “Let this 25-year sentence serve notice to anyone who thinks they can profit from selling this poison to Texans on my watch. This office will continue to stand up and use every tool in the tool chest to protect our communities. Earlier this year I was proud to work with DPD, FBI, and the city to help get the Cole Manor Hotel bulldozed for good. We will continue to charge people with crimes and go after businesses who harbor illegal conduct.”

“Drug trafficking and its frequent companion, drug-related violence, threaten the health and safety of every single one of us,” said Joseph B. Tucker, Special Agent in Charge of DEA’s Dallas Field Division. “Mr. Miller’s sentence of 25 years holds him directly responsible for his intended actions and has undoubtedly saved lives, with a weapon off the streets and drugs that will never find a life to destroy.”

According to court documents, Drug Enforcement Administration agents began investigating drug dealing activity at the Cole Manor Motel, formerly located at 7002 Harry Hines Boulevard in Dallas in December 2024. Miller admitted that the Cole Manor Motel was a location where persons habitually went to engage in criminal activity to include the distribution and purchase of controlled substances, unlawful possession of firearms, assaults, prostitution, and other crimes. 

Miller admitted that during the drug conspiracy he utilized multiple rooms within the motel, to cut, package, and distribute quantities of fentanyl, methamphetamine, marijuana, and other controlled substances to numerous customers daily. “Rules” were sometimes posted inside motel rooms that customers were expected to abide by.

Court records further revealed that on Feb.19, 2025, law enforcement agents executed search warrants at multiple Cole Manor Motel rooms. In one of Miller’s rooms, agents recovered digital scales, baggies, and distribution quantities of fentanyl and methamphetamine as well as $19,372 in drug proceeds and multiple firearms. 

In October 2025, Miller pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance (fentanyl) and one count of possessing a firearm by a convicted felon. United States Federal District Judge Karen Gren Scholer sentenced him to 300 months in prison.

The Drug Enforcement Administration Dallas Division conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Rick Calvert, Major Crimes Section Chief, prosecuted the case.

ABILENE, Texas—United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas, Ryan Raybould, announced that Kaleb Marc Rodriquez, a 27-year-old Abilene man who produced and transported child sexual abuse material was sentenced to 50 years in federal prison on July 22.

“I can think of few things more reprehensible than an individual entrusted with the care and well-being of a minor, who then takes advantage of a tragedy to betray that trust and horrifically violate that child in his care,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould. “This sentence affirms my office’s commitment to protecting children and prosecuting these vile criminals. I am extremely grateful to our law enforcement partners and the prosecutorial team for ensuring this predator can never again sexually exploit children in North Texas.”

“Protecting children from exploitation is a core mission for HSI. This sentence demonstrates that those who commit these crimes will be held fully accountable, said HSI Dallas Special Agent in Charge Travis Pickard. “We are grateful for the dedicated efforts of the Abilene Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in ensuring that this offender will no longer pose a threat to vulnerable children. HSI will continue to work tirelessly to investigate, apprehend, and prosecute those who prey on minors, and to support victims and their families throughout the process.” 

According to court documents:

On Sept. 22, 2024, Jane Doe 1’s grandmother had a stroke, so her mother left Doe and her two siblings in Rodriquez’s care at her apartment. Doe’s mother also said she lent her phone to Rodriquez at that time. 

On Feb. 17, 2025, Doe’s mother noticed that Rodriguez was logged into his Gmail account on her phone. She looked in Rodriquez’s account and saw that he had emailed himself a sexually explicit video of Doe, who was 14 years old at the time, the day he was alone with her at the apartment. Doe’s mother contacted the Abilene Police Department to report the sexual assault of a child.

APD officers responded and found a Snapchat video, which was produced at Doe’s apartment in Abilene. Based on a computer forensic analysis, Rodriguez used Doe’s mother’s cellular telephone and Snapchat account to create child pornography of the minor victim and then emailed that video to himself so he could access it from other electronic devices. During the 19-second sexually explicit video of Doe, APD detectives were able to identify Rodriquez’s hand because he had distinctive tattoos on them. 

During an interview with APD, Rodriquez admitted that he knew Doe and that he lived with Doe’s family for about five to six months before the interview. Rodriquez admitted that he knew Doe was 14 because he went to her birthday party. Rodriquez recalled the stroke in September 2024 and that he may have been with Doe then. 

The APD detective asked, “what if I told you that I saw your hands in a video with [Doe]?” Rodriquez replied, “I’d probably believe you.” The detective asked, “What if I told you the videos showed [Doe’s] anus and vagina?” Rodriquez responded, “Oh, my God. That, I have no clue. But I’d probably believe you because I was on drugs.” 

The APD detective later told Rodriquez that he was going to jail. Rodriquez asked the detective to tell [Doe’s] family that he was sorry.

At the sentencing hearing, one of the victims stated, “I am glad that I don’t have to see you anymore. Knowing I am safe from being hurt by you again gives me some peace.”

A grand jury indicted Rodriguez in January 2026. He pleaded guilty to production of child pornography and transportation of child pornography in March 2026. U.S. District Judge James Wesley Hendrix sentenced him to 600 months in federal prison. 

Homeland Security Investigations and the Abilene Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey R. Haag, West Texas Branch Chief, prosecuted the case.

The Justice Department is committed to combating child sexual exploitation and brought this case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit https://www.justice.gov/psc. The Department partners with and oversees funding grants for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), which receives and shares tips about possible child sexual exploitation received through its 24/7 hotline at 1-800-THE-LOST and on missingkids.org.

DALLAS — United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas, Ryan Raybould, today announced the July 22 indictment of eight individuals for their alleged roles in a sex trafficking and money laundering conspiracy operated out of the Paris Adult Bookstore on Harry Hines Boulevard in Dallas.

The indictment charges each of the defendants with conspiracy to commit sex trafficking. Some defendants were additionally charged with sex trafficking through force, fraud, and coercion, sex trafficking of a minor, conspiracy to launder monetary instruments, and/or felon in possession of firearm. 

Six of the eight defendants were arrested on July 24. They are currently in federal custody. Law enforcement also recovered 21 firearms from the defendants throughout the investigation.

“The eight individuals charged in this indictment preyed on their victims and sex trafficked several women and juveniles for their own financial gain under threat of violence, fraud and coercion,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould. “These arrests send a clear message that this U.S. Attorney’s Office will work with our federal partners to investigate and aggressively prosecute anyone involved in the depraved and dehumanizing crime of sex trafficking. We will ensure these perpetrators are held accountable so the victims can receive the justice they are owed.” 

Those charged in the federal indictment include:

• Aaron Tyrone Betford, 43, charged with conspiracy to commit sex trafficking, conspiracy to launder monetary instruments, and felon in possession of a firearm
• Montre Lamont Mason, 51, charged with conspiracy to commit sex trafficking, sex trafficking through force, fraud, and coercion, sex trafficking of a minor, conspiracy to launder monetary instruments, and felon in possession of a firearm 
• Eileen Mason, 52, charged with conspiracy to commit sex trafficking, sex trafficking through force, fraud, or coercion, and conspiracy to launder monetary instruments 
• Trelynn Love Mason, 24, charged with conspiracy to commit sex trafficking, and conspiracy to launder monetary instruments
• Larry Jones, 51, charged with conspiracy to commit sex trafficking, sex trafficking through force, fraud, or coercion, sex trafficking of a minor, and conspiracy to launder monetary instruments
• Krishenda Doss, 37, charged with conspiracy to commit sex trafficking, sex trafficking through force, fraud, or coercion, and conspiracy to launder monetary instruments 
• Reginald Rose, 38, charged with conspiracy to commit sex trafficking, and sex trafficking through force, fraud, or coercion 
• Antonio Dario Osorio-Avelar, 23, charged with conspiracy to commit sex trafficking, and sex trafficking of a minor 

“This indictment represents a major step forward in dismantling an organization that, according to the allegations, profited from the exploitation of vulnerable people for years,” said HSI Dallas Special Agent in Charge Travis Pickard. “Human traffickers view victims as commodities, and Homeland Security Investigations is committed to identifying those responsible, holding them accountable, and ensuring victims receive the support they need. This case reflects the unwavering commitment of the North Texas Trafficking Task Force, an HSI-led initiative under the North Texas Homeland Security Task Force and the Texoma High Intensity Drug Trafficking area, along with our federal, state, and local partners to protect our communities and pursue justice for those who exploit others for profit.”

“These individuals allegedly participated in a criminal enterprise to traffic and exploit vulnerable victims; IRS-CI’s financial expertise is built to expose such activity,” said Special Agent in Charge Christopher J. Altemus, Jr., IRS Criminal Investigation, Texas Field Office. “This indictment demonstrates what’s possible when federal, state, and local partners combine their expertise and resources to protect our communities. Together, we will continue dismantling criminal networks and cutting off the illicit profits that fuel them.”

“This investigation reflects what is possible when investigators, prosecutors, and our law enforcement partners work together toward a common goal,” said Dallas Police Chief Daniel C. Comeaux. “We are committed to protecting our neighborhoods, enforcing the law fairly, and pursuing those who engage in organized criminal activity. While today’s indictment marks an important milestone, the judicial process will now take its course, and we remain committed to seeing this case through.”

According to the indictment, the eight defendants allegedly engaged in a year’s long sex trafficking and money laundering criminal conspiracy out of the Paris Adult Bookstore and used the sexually oriented retail business to hide the illicit activity. The bookstore is located on Harry Hines Boulevard in an area of Dallas commonly referred to as “the blade” or “the track,” where commercial sex workers solicit customers by walking along the street, often wearing limited clothing to signal availability.

For years, the store has operated as a sexually oriented business, selling sex toys and other novelty items in a retail area and offering 40 “arcade” rooms behind locked doors where customers could pay to watch pornographic movies. These alleged conspirators rented out the arcade rooms on a short-term basis to sex workers and their customers, known as “johns,” for the purpose of engaging in commercial sex acts that the business profited from. The women would be required to pay a cash fee to a cashier in exchange for a condom, personal wipes, and use of an arcade room. Sometimes the same women would come in multiple times per shift per day with different commercial sex customers. Employees were permitted to take home leftover cash paid in the form of a fee by the commercial sex workers as “tips.” 

In addition to the six employees of the Paris Adult Bookstore, two sex traffickers, or “pimps,” were indicted for allegedly causing women and minors to engage in commercial sex using the store’s arcade rooms. At various times, commercial sex workers entered the store and interacted with the employees. Some of these women had visible bruising on their bodies, black eye(s), road rash, stab wounds, and other visible injuries, which would be obvious to the employees. Some of the commercial sex workers recounted incidents of their pimps assaulting them to employees. On occasion, conspirators personally interacted with the pimps when they bought merchandise from the retail section, searched for their commercial sex workers, and discussed their workers’ access and continued use of the store to complete commercial sex transactions. 

The indictment alleges conspirators working for the Paris Adult Book Store financially benefited from allowing and facilitating this conduct. They made monetary transactions with the fees they charged pimps and commercial sex workers—fraudulently obtained proceeds—that were designed to conceal and disguise the nature, location, source, ownership, and control of the proceeds, and to promote and encourage the continued participation of others in the fraudulent enterprise. 

For example, conspirators acting as “security” for the store were allegedly hired with these fraudulent proceeds. Security personnel were responsible for controlling the johns and commercial sex workers by ensuring they only solicited in certain areas of the property, that the pimps did not linger in the parking lot, by escorting johns and commercial sex workers to the arcade rooms, and by reporting to conspirators any disturbances involving law enforcement or any altercations between johns, employees, commercial sex workers, and pimps.

In August 2024, a commercial sex worker, who had solicited johns in the Paris Adult Bookstore parking lot over the course of several nights, was taken from the store’s parking lot, kidnapped, and murdered by Naasson Haazzard.

If convicted, several defendants face a sentence of up to life in federal prison.

Homeland Security Investigations, IRS-Criminal Investigation and the Dallas Police Department conducted the investigation through the HSI’s North Texas Trafficking Task Force, a cross-agency task force that partners with federal, state, and local law enforcement and nonprofit organizations to combat human trafficking in the North Texas region.

Assistant United States Attorneys Brandie Wade from the Violent Crimes Section and Myria Boehm from the Major Crimes section are prosecuting the case. 

This prosecution is 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 United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting, the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, 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. 

An indictment is merely an allegation of criminal conduct, not evidence. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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DALLAS—United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas, Ryan Raybould, in collaboration with the FBI; Homeland Security Investigations; Drug Enforcement Administration; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; U.S. Marshals Service; U.S. Secret Service; Federal Aviation Administration; Texas Department of Public Safety; and other federal, state, and local partners, highlights the strengthened airspace security strategy and operational plan implemented during the FIFA World Cup 2026 in North Texas.  

An active Joint Operations Center, advanced counter Unmanned Aircraft Systems (drones), rigorous enforcement, and a proactive public education campaign contributed to the success of this operation.

From the outset, the FAA established Temporary Flight Restrictions over key locations in the Metroplex. One included a 3 nautical mile radius up to 3,000 feet around AT&T Stadium (“Dallas Stadium”) beginning three hours before each match and ending three hours after each match concluded. A second included a 1 nautical mile up to 1,000 feet TFR was enforced during daily Fan Festival activities at Fair Park through the entirety of the World Cup (June 11-July 19).

During the operation, law enforcement deployed counter UAS teams equipped to detect and intercept unauthorized drones. Law enforcement seized 65 drones at Dallas Stadium and 29 more at Fair Park, the location of Fan Fest in Dallas. As a result of these seizures, we undertook various enforcement actions, including seizing the drones, issuing fines, documenting the drone incursion, and, in some instances, charging the drone operators with federal crimes.   

As a result of the 94 drone seizures during the TFRs, various drone investigations remain ongoing.

Some of the key enforcement actions include the following:

• Luis Mauricio Flores Ordonez, a Honduran national, was charged with violation of national defense airspace for flying a drone near “Dallas Stadium” during the June 14 match; his guilty plea and sentencing hearing are set for Aug. 19. 
• Cristobal Torres Alvarez, a Mexican national, was charged for operating a drone without an airman’s certificate in restricted airspace near “Dallas Stadium” during the June 27 match. Alvarez faces up to three years in federal prison.
• Servando Piedra Munoz, a Mexican national, was charged for operating a drone without an airman’s certificate in restricted airspace near “Dallas Stadium” during the July 14 semi-final match. Munoz faces up to three years in federal prison.

These efforts were supported by the Northern District’s 24/7 Joint Operations Center, facilitating real-time sharing of intelligence and coordination of field responses. The Texas DPS, aided by a $3.2 million FEMA grant, deployed mobile and fixed drone detection and mitigation systems—using radio-frequency monitoring, Remote ID tracking, and non-kinetic countermeasures—with personnel trained by the FBI.

A broad Public Service Campaign accompanied these measures, urging drone operators to:

• Register and label their drones
• Obtain a Part 107 certification or TRUST certificate
• Check TFRs via FAA-approved B4UFLY tools
• Report suspicious drone activity to 911, local law enforcement or the FBI

U.S. Attorney Raybould on the operation’s significance:

“What we learned is that robust planning, advanced technology, and interagency unity can effectively neutralize airborne threats. Drones are here to stay—and so must our vigilance. As we look to future major events, we will sharpen these systems and partnerships to uphold safety in our skies. We also showed the world that more major sporting events - like the Women’s World Cup - belong in North Texas!”

FBI Dallas SAC R. Joseph Rothrock added: “Over the past 5 weeks, the FBI helped to secure one of the largest sporting events in our country’s history. In Dallas, those efforts included protecting the matches at Dallas Stadium and Fan Fest at Fair Park from unauthorized drone activity. These efforts culminated in the seizure of over 90 drones,” said FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock. “We want to thank our state, local, and federal partners for their assistance in drone operations. The success and safety of the tournament would not have been possible without these partnerships.”

Lessons Learned

• Advanced Detection + Skilled Personnel: The integration of real-time UAS technology and trained operators enabled rapid detection and neutralization of airborne threats.
• Constant Command and Control: The 24/7 Joint Operations Center ensured coordination and swift action across all responding agencies.
• Enhanced Public Awareness: Clear messaging and outreach reduced inadvertent violations and encouraged active community reporting.
• Legal Deterrence: Prompt prosecutions signaled the seriousness of violations and reinforced the consequences of non-compliance.
• Future Preparedness: Drones will remain a persistent presence at public gatherings—our successes here establish a blueprint for proactive, scalable responses at future events.

The Northern District of Texas reaffirms its commitment to securing large-scale gatherings and protecting the public. Through coordinated strategy, resource investment, and community engagement, we aim to maintain airspace integrity and public trust.

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Magnolia Diagnostics, a clinical laboratory based in Dallas, Texas, and its owners, John Bains and Kelly Bains, have agreed to pay the United States $19.2 million to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act by billing Medicare for medically unnecessary respiratory pathogen panel testing performed on seniors receiving COVID-19 tests. Magnolia investors will pay an additional $4.8 million to resolve common law claims for unjust enrichment and payment by mistake and claims under the Federal Debt Collection Procedures Act, arising from distributions they received from Magnolia.

“My office is committed to tackling healthcare fraud through the use of all available tools, both through criminal prosecutions and, as here, civil investigations. Too many of our healthcare dollars are lost to fraud, waste, and abuse, but civil settlements like this one help recover valuable healthcare dollars for the American taxpayer,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould for the Northern District of Texas. “Thank you to my attorneys in partnership with Main Justice in focusing our efforts to recover healthcare dollars. We will continue to use all available tools in this important fight.”

“The Justice Department is committed to protecting taxpayer-funded programs and holding accountable those who exploit them,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “We will pursue not only companies that submit false claims and the owners who direct the misconduct, but also investors who receive and retain its financial benefits — especially when vulnerable Americans are exploited for profit.”

“Protecting seniors and safeguarding Medicare are core to our mission,” said Acting Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Scott J. Lampert of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General. “As alleged, Magnolia Diagnostics showed reckless disregard for medical necessity, beneficiary well-being, and the law — all to boost its profits during a national public health emergency. Today’s resolution reflects our determination to uncover this kind of misconduct and hold accountable those who put greed above patient care.”

The United States alleges that, beginning in April 2020, John Bains and Kelly Bains, acting through Magnolia, devised a strategy to generate significant revenue by requiring senior living communities seeking COVID-19 testing to also obtain expensive respiratory pathogen panels (RPPs). To implement this protocol, Magnolia used prepopulated requisition forms that selected RPP testing and associated diagnosis codes before any individualized clinical assessment occurred. Magnolia allegedly treated provider signatures on those forms as blanket or standing orders authorizing RPPs for all seniors across entire communities or chains of communities, and then used those purported authorizations to perform RPPs on specimens collected during community-wide COVID-19 testing.

The United States further alleges that Magnolia performed RPPs for some communities without a purported standing order and continued performing RPPs after providers and communities demanded COVID-19-only testing, questioned the panel’s medical necessity or clinical value, or stated that they had not authorized RPPs. At times, John Bains allegedly threatened to withhold COVID-19 testing from communities that asked not to receive RPPs. In at least two instances, John Bains allegedly altered a provider-signed requisition form to expand the apparent scope of the provider’s authorization beyond the facility identified on the original form and then used those altered forms as standing orders to support RPP testing for residents across multiple facilities not covered by the original form. 

Magnolia also allegedly froze and stored thousands of respiratory specimens, sometimes for weeks or months, before thawing and testing them. Magnolia thereby generated RPP results after they could no longer inform timely treatment, isolation, or infection-control decisions. The United States alleges that, between April 1, 2020, and Sept. 30, 2021, Magnolia, John Bains, and Kelly Bains knowingly submitted, or caused the submission of, false claims to Medicare for thousands of RPPs that lacked medical necessity.

The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas, in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General.

The investigation and resolution of this matter illustrate the government’s emphasis on combating healthcare fraud.  One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the FCA. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services at www.oig.hhs.gov/fraud/report-fraud/ or 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).

This year, the Trump Administration launched the Task Force to Eliminate Fraud and the National Fraud Enforcement Division to enhance the Administration’s war on fraud, waste, and abuse in federal programs. When unscrupulous actors exploit these programs for their own financial gain, they defraud the government, harm the people these programs are designed to aid and protect, and undermine American businesses that play by the rules. The Civil Division’s False Claims Act enforcement plays a critical role in combatting such fraudulent schemes, recovering billions of dollars for the American taxpayers, and holding wrongdoers accountable. False Claims Act matters will continue to be on the forefront of the battle against fraud, and the Civil Division’s False Claims work will support and advance the mission of the Task Force to Eliminate Fraud and the National Fraud Enforcement Division.

The matter was handled by Associate Deputy Attorney General Paul Perkins, Fraud Section Trial Attorney Asha Natarajan, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Stoltz for the Northern District of Texas.

The claims resolved by the settlements are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.

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Magnolia Diagnostics, a clinical laboratory based in Dallas, Texas, and its owners, John Bains and Kelly Bains, have agreed to pay the United States $19.2 million to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act by billing Medicare for medically unnecessary respiratory pathogen panel testing performed on seniors receiving COVID-19 tests. Magnolia investors will pay an additional $4.8 million to resolve common law claims for unjust enrichment and payment by mistake and claims under the Federal Debt Collection Procedures Act, arising from distributions they received from Magnolia.

“The Justice Department is committed to protecting taxpayer-funded programs and holding accountable those who exploit them,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “We will pursue not only companies that submit false claims and the owners who direct the misconduct, but also investors who receive and retain its financial benefits — especially when vulnerable Americans are exploited for profit.”

“My office is committed to tackling healthcare fraud through the use of all available tools, both through criminal prosecutions and, as here, civil investigations. Too many of our healthcare dollars are lost to fraud, waste, and abuse, but civil settlements like this one help recover valuable healthcare dollars for the American taxpayer,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould for the Northern District of Texas. “Thank you to my attorneys in partnership with Main Justice in focusing our efforts to recover healthcare dollars. We will continue to use all available tools in this important fight.”

“Protecting seniors and safeguarding Medicare are core to our mission,” said Acting Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Scott J. Lampert of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General. “As alleged, Magnolia Diagnostics showed reckless disregard for medical necessity, beneficiary well-being, and the law — all to boost its profits during a national public health emergency. Today’s resolution reflects our determination to uncover this kind of misconduct and hold accountable those who put greed above patient care.”

The United States alleges that, beginning in April 2020, John Bains and Kelly Bains, acting through Magnolia, devised a strategy to generate significant revenue by requiring senior living communities seeking COVID-19 testing to also obtain expensive respiratory pathogen panels (RPPs). To implement this protocol, Magnolia used prepopulated requisition forms that selected RPP testing and associated diagnosis codes before any individualized clinical assessment occurred. Magnolia allegedly treated provider signatures on those forms as blanket or standing orders authorizing RPPs for all seniors across entire communities or chains of communities, and then used those purported authorizations to perform RPPs on specimens collected during community-wide COVID-19 testing.

The United States further alleges that Magnolia performed RPPs for some communities without a purported standing order, and continued performing RPPs after providers and communities demanded COVID-19-only testing, questioned the panel’s medical necessity or clinical value, or stated that they had not authorized RPPs. At times, John Bains allegedly threatened to withhold COVID-19 testing from communities that asked not to receive RPPs. In at least two instances, John Bains allegedly altered a provider-signed requisition form to expand the apparent scope of the provider’s authorization beyond the facility identified on the original form, and then used those altered forms as standing orders to support RPP testing for residents across multiple facilities not covered by the original form. 

Magnolia also allegedly froze and stored thousands of respiratory specimens, sometimes for weeks or months, before thawing and testing them. Magnolia thereby generated RPP results after they could no longer inform timely treatment, isolation, or infection-control decisions. The United States alleges that, between April 1, 2020, and Sept. 30, 2021, Magnolia, John Bains, and Kelly Bains knowingly submitted, or caused the submission of, false claims to Medicare for thousands of RPPs that lacked medical necessity.

The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas, in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General.

The investigation and resolution of this matter illustrate the government’s emphasis on combating healthcare fraud.  One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the FCA. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services at www.oig.hhs.gov/fraud/report-fraud/ or 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).

This year, the Trump Administration launched the Task Force to Eliminate Fraud and the National Fraud Enforcement Division to enhance the Administration’s war on fraud, waste, and abuse in federal programs. When unscrupulous actors exploit these programs for their own financial gain, they defraud the government, harm the people these programs are designed to aid and protect, and undermine American businesses that play by the rules. The Civil Division’s False Claims Act enforcement plays a critical role in combatting such fraudulent schemes, recovering billions of dollars for the American taxpayers, and holding wrongdoers accountable. False Claims Act matters will continue to be on the forefront of the battle against fraud, and the Civil Division’s False Claims work will support and advance the mission of the Task Force to Eliminate Fraud and the National Fraud Enforcement Division.

The matter was handled by Associate Deputy Attorney General Paul Perkins, Fraud Section Trial Attorney Asha Natarajan, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Stoltz for the Northern District of Texas.

The claims resolved by the settlements are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.

Note: Read the Settlement with Magnolia Diagnostics, John Bains, and Kelly Bains here.

Read the Settlement with Magnolia Diagnostics Investors here.

AMARILLO, Texas — United States Attorney Ryan Raybould announced that a federal grand jury in the Northern District of Texas returned a twelve-count indictment against an Amarillo man for conspiracy to provide firearms to the Sinaloa Cartel and three others charged with related crimes on June 25.

Loyd Walter Hall, 27, of Amarillo, is charged with conspiring to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization, conspiracy to distribute controlled substances for importation into the United States, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and several counts of providing false material statements to a firearms dealer, and conspiracy to straw purchase and traffic  firearms. Jesus Quezada Meza, 30, a Mexican national living in Dumas, Texas, and Omar Velasquez, 44, of Utah, are each charged with conspiracy to straw purchase firearms and conspiracy to traffic firearms. Catlynn Ann Townsend, 29, of Amarillo, is charged with making a false statement in required information kept by a licensed firearms dealer.

From 2024 to 2026, Hall and several of his co-conspirators maintained a relationship with a member of the Sinaloa Cartel in Chihuahua, Mexico. Through this relationship, Hall provided firearms, technical know-how, and guidance on evading U.S. law enforcement to the Sinaloa Cartel despite his awareness of the Cartel’s status as a foreign terrorist organization. Hall worked with named and unnamed co-conspirators to accomplish this objective.

“Every firearm trafficked from the United States to a cartel strengthens its ability to terrorize communities, secure drug operations, engage in corruption, and commit international fuel theft,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould. “This case highlights my office’s commitment to dismantling all the cartels’ criminal networks. We won’t stop until the cartels and those who aid and abet them are completely eradicated.”

“The allegations in this indictment describe not only the illegal trafficking of firearms to a designated foreign terrorist organization, but also efforts to provide the Sinaloa Cartel with guidance on bypassing U.S. firearms laws and avoiding law enforcement detection,” said Brian Garner, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF Dallas Field Division. “Individuals who knowingly arm violent criminal organizations and help them exploit our laws threaten the safety and security of communities on both sides of the border. ATF remains committed to working alongside our federal, state, local, and international law enforcement partners to identify, investigate, and hold accountable those who support transnational criminal organizations.”

“Homeland Security Investigations is committed to disrupting and dismantling the criminal networks that threaten our communities and national security,” said HSI Dallas Special Agent in Charge Travis Pickard. “This indictment demonstrates the strength of our partnerships and our resolve to hold accountable those who traffic firearms and provide material support to violent cartels. HSI will continue to work with our federal, state, and local partners to ensure that those who endanger American lives face justice.”

Each defendant has made an initial appearance in court.

If convicted, Hall faces up to a maximum penalty of life in federal prison. Meza and Velasquez each face up to 15 years in federal prison. Townsend faces up to five years in federal prison.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with assistance from the FBI and the Amarillo Police Department.

This case is 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 United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting, the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, 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.

An indictment is merely an allegation of criminal conduct, not evidence. The outstanding defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
 

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AMARILLO, Texas – United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas, Ryan Raybould, today announced that Azaiah Nathaniel Zuniga-Valle pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of a machinegun in connection with a March 22 shooting at a house party in Amarillo.

Zuniga-Valle, 20, was indicted in April. 
 

“Zuniga-Valle showed a wanton disregard for public safety when he recklessly fired an illegally altered fully automatic weapon at a house he knew was filled with folks,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould. “These types of Glock switches turn ordinary firearms into machine guns. I’m grateful for the swift action of the Amarillo police together with our federal partners in investigating and prosecuting this case. I will continue to increase our federal presence in the Amarillo Division to crush violent crime. More to come, but the criminals in and around Amarillo should be worried. I’m coming for you.”

“Illegally possessing a machinegun undermines the safety of our North Texas communities. This plea demonstrates the importance of partnerships in combatting violent crime,” said FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock. “The FBI and our law enforcement partners will continue to work together to identify and apprehend violent criminals.”

According to plea papers, on March 22, Amarillo Police Department officers were dispatched to the 300 Block of South Mississippi Street in response to a reported shooting.  After speaking with victims and witnesses, APD officers learned that an individual, KJ, who hosted a party had observed a male with a rifle and asked the subject to leave. The subject with the rifle left the party, and the house was immediately struck by multiple bullets. Shortly before this, JA, another subject attending the party, videoed the male with the rifle that was asked to leave. The video depicted the rifle with the receiver open and an attachment inside that appeared to be an auto sear device, which would allow the firearm to function as a machinegun. JA provided this video clip to investigators.  

Surveillance video obtained from the vicinity of where the shooting occurred showed what appeared to be a subject standing behind an SUV. The camera recorded the sound of multiple shots fired in rapid succession. The speed at which the shots were fired was consistent with fully automatic gunfire.

Through further investigation, officers identified Azaiah Nathaniel Zuniga-Valle as the person that had the rifle at the party. Investigators obtained an arrest warrant for Zuniga-Valle.

Plea papers further revealed that on March 24, an unnamed male called APD dispatch and stated that the subject that was involved in the shooting on Mississippi Street pointed a gun at him and forced him to give him a ride to the Wal-Mart in Hereford, Texas. This information was passed on to Hereford Police Department, who dispatched officers to the scene and arrested Zuniga-Valle inside of a car that was in the parking lot. They also found a Glock pistol under the driver’s seat.

During a post-Miranda statement given to task force officers with the FBI, Zuniga-Valle made several admissions. When was asked about the rifle that was discharged at the party on March 22, he admitted that he bought the rifle approximately one year ago from Gebo’s in Hereford and the rifle should be in his name. He further admitted to trading a disposable vape device for the “drop-in” attachment that makes the firearm function as a machinegun and that he did not obtain a permit from ATF to own a machinegun.  

Zuniga-Valle said he got into a verbal altercation with a subject at the party on Mississippi Street. After he departed the residence, Zuniga-Valle said he heard gunfire from the front porch area, so he pulled out his rifle and shot at the house. He estimated he fired 30 rounds and his rifle functioned as a machinegun.

Zuniga-Valle stated that after the shooting he traded the rifle he had used for the Glock pistol that was found in the car. Zuniga-Valle admitted he placed the Glock pistol under the driver’s seat when he saw officers approaching the car.

Zuniga-Valle remains in federal custody pending sentencing before U.S. District Judge Matthew J. Kacsmaryk. His sentencing date has not been set.  Zuniga-Valle faces up to 10 years in federal prison.  

The FBI, the Amarillo Police Department, and the Hereford Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey R. Haag is prosecuting the case.

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Seafood Supply Co., a Dallas seafood wholesaler, was sentenced today to pay a $250,000 fine for violating two counts of the Lacey Act. 

According to court documents, Seafood Supply falsified the country of origin of salmon sold from January 2020 to February 2022. The company would designate Chilean salmon as salmon from Scotland or other European countries. Typically, the Chilean salmon was less expensive than product from Scotland. 

In addition to the fine, Seafood Supply was placed on probation for three years and ordered to implement an environmental compliance plan. The company previously pleaded guilty on March 4. Seafood Supply has been under new leadership since the time of the violations.

Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Energy and Natural Resources Division (ENRD); U.S. Attorney Ryan R. Raybould for the Northern District of Texas; and Assistant Director Paige Casey of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)’s Office of Law Enforcement, Southeast Division made the announcement.

NOAA investigated the case as part of Operation Upstream Diligence. 

Trial Attorney Christopher L. Hale of ENRD’s Environmental Crimes Section prosecuted the case with assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas. 

ENRD is a member of the Department of Justice’s Trade Fraud Task Force, a cross-agency law enforcement effort that also involves the Criminal and Civil Divisions’ Fraud Sections, ENRD, the Department of Homeland Security, and U.S. Attorney’s Offices nationwide. The Task Force was created to leverage all of the Department’s tools and authorities to prevent trade fraud that deprives the government of vital revenue, threatens critical domestic industries, undermines consumer confidence, and weakens national security. The Task Force is designed to pursue enforcement actions against parties who seek to evade tariffs and other duties, as well as smugglers who seek to import prohibited goods into the American economy. The Justice Department encourages whistleblowers to alert the government to credible allegations of fraud, including utilizing the qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act or through the Criminal Division’s Corporate Whistleblower Program at CorporateWhistleblower@usdoj.gov using the form available here.

LUBBOCK – Six men and women have pleaded guilty to charges arising from a seven-count indictment alleging that 14 defendants conspired to steal crude oil from Permian Basin oil producers and resell it for significant profit announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould.  

On July 15, Gyardo Gonzalez, 47, Mario Mendoza, 40, Miguel A. Soto, 41, all of Lovington, New Mexico; Luis Rojo, 51, of Seminole, Texas; Diana Marquez Rojo, 47, and Jesus Martin Hernandez-Borja, both of Hobbs, New Mexico; have all pleaded guilty to participating in a conspiracy to steal crude oil.

“Oil theft is not a victimless crime. Every barrel stolen weakens our energy infrastructure and threatens our energy security. The defendants placed personal profits and greed over the pocketbooks of Texans,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould. “My office is committed to continuing to investigate and prosecute these fuel theft schemes.”

“Oil theft isn’t a harmless shortcut. It’s a crime that hurts honest producers and disrupts fair markets,” said Eric Kriley, BLM Director of Law Enforcement. “Conspiring to steal and transport crude oil across state lines is a serious federal offense, and today’s guilty pleas show the commitment the BLM and our law enforcement partners have to pursuing these cases.”

“In collaboration with our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners, we were able to disrupt an organized theft group responsible for stealing tens of thousands of barrels of crude oil across Texas and New Mexico,” said FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock. “The FBI will continue to work with our partners to combat the large-scale theft and distribution of stolen goods.”

In filed plea papers, the defendants admitted to stealing tens of thousands of barrels of crude oil from producers in Eastern New Mexico and selling it to Louis George Edgett, 69, of Lovington, New Mexico, and Brenden Floyd Strickland, 26, of Hobbs, New Mexico, who are also charged in the case. The defendants further admitted that Edgett and Strickland purchased the stolen crude oil at prices significantly below West Texas Intermediate, most often at between $10 and $15 per barrel.  

For example, according to plea papers, one conspirator sold 10,975 barrels of stolen crude oil to Edgett and Strickland between June 2022 and July 2024. That oil had an approximate fair market value of $888,975, but Edgett and Strickland paid only $15 per barrel, for a total of $164,625. Another conspirator sold 9,090 barrels of stolen crude oil to Edgett and Strickland during a six-month period between January and June 2024. That oil had a market value of $724,200.30, but Edgett and Strickland paid approximately $136,350. Another conspirator admitted in plea papers that the crude oil he stole was valued at up to $1.5 million.  

Plea papers also indicated that James Darrell Reid, 65, and Randell Reid, 41, both of Electra, Texas, also charged in the case, purchased the stolen oil from Edgett and Strickland at prices significantly below WTI and transported it across the New Mexico-Texas state line to their business site in Seminole, Texas. The Reids then sold the stolen crude oil to midstream buyers at prices below WTI.

Each defendant who pleaded guilty, except for Diana Marquez Rojo, faces up to five years in federal prison. Diana Rojo faces up to three years in federal prison. These defendants also face a $250,000 fine, payment of restitution to victims of the theft, and forfeiture. The Court has not yet set sentencing dates.

A seventh defendant, Tavares Montrail Cole, 49, has admitted in filed plea papers to participating in the conspiracy and his rearraignment is scheduled for August 3.

The remaining seven defendants who were also indicted in the oil theft conspiracy, some of whom are charged with transportation of stolen property in interstate commerce, face imprisonment for terms ranging from five years up to 65 years imprisonment and millions of dollars in fines.

The Bureau of Land Management; FBI; Texas Department of Public Safety-Criminal Investigation Division; Lea County, New Mexico, Sheriff’s Office; and Eddy County, New Mexico Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey R. Haag is prosecuting the case. Former Assistant U.S. Attorney Ann Howey previously spearheaded this case.  

An indictment is merely an allegation of criminal conduct, not evidence.  The outstanding defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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DALLAS — United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas, Ryan Raybould, announced that Demario White, a 40-year-old Dallas man who distributed fentanyl pills to minors, was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison on July 6.

“Let this lengthy sentence serve as a warning that anyone who distributes deadly drugs to children in the Northern District of Texas will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould. "Just two milligrams of fentanyl—equivalent to 10-15 grains of table salt—is considered a lethal dose. My office is laser focused on eradicating this deadly drug from our communities throughout North Texas."

“Fentanyl is the single deadliest drug threat our nation has ever encountered,” said Ivan Carrera, Acting Special Agent in Charge of DEA Dallas. “Selling drugs alone is a serious transgression, but to sell deadly fentanyl to a juvenile is one of the most shocking and callous ways to hurt a community.  The sentence handed down to Mr. White is a clear message that the production and trafficking of fentanyl will not be tolerated in our neighborhoods. DEA Dallas and our partners will continue to work together and keep this poison off our streets.”

According to court documents, White distributed counterfeit M30 pills containing fentanyl to a juvenile male. The juvenile male and his friend took the pills and the 14-year-old friend overdosed but survived after medical intervention. The juvenile male told the police that “Mario” provided him and his juvenile friend with seven pills for $35.  

On April 17, 2024, officers obtained an arrest warrant for White and subsequently executed a search warrant at his residence located on Brookgreen Drive in Dallas. Officers located thousands of counterfeit M30 pills containing fentanyl during the search of White’s apartment. After his arrest, White told officers that he would obtain 3,000 to 4,000 fentanyl pills at a time and sell each pill for $5.    
 

A grand jury indicted White in May 2024 and he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance in March. U.S. District Judge Godbey sentenced White to 240 months in federal prison.

The Drug Enforcement Administration, Richardson Police Department, Hickory Creek Police Department, Dallas Police Department, and the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Phelesa M. Guy prosecuted the case.
 

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United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas, Ryan Raybould, announced that the final defendant in a significant Lubbock, Texas, methamphetamine trafficking organization was sentenced to 18 years in federal prison on July 8.

Waylon Williams, 42, pled guilty to one count of distribution and possession with intent to distribute five grams or more of methamphetamine in January 2026.  

“These lengthy prison sentences assure North Texans that the federal government is partnering – through the Homeland Security Task Forces – with our great state and local law enforcement officers to dismantle drug traffickers and their networks,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould. “Methamphetamine is a highly addictive drug that ruins lives and destroys families. Thanks to the hard work of our prosecutors and our law enforcement partners, these individuals have been held accountable for their crimes.”

Five others charged in the same case were previously sentenced to prison terms for their respective roles in the methamphetamine trafficking:

• Charles Clay Pruitt, 48, of Lubbock, was sentenced in April 2026 to 480 months (40 years).
• Jason Lee Garza, also known as “J-Bird”, 50, of Lubbock, was sentenced in June 2026 to 420 months (35 years).
• Brody Wayne Duncan, 32, of Post, Texas, was sentenced in May 2026 to 240 months (20 years).
• Matthew Young, 50, of Lubbock, was sentenced in April 2026 to 188 months (15.6 years) in federal prison.
• Veronica Pena aka Veronica Zambrano, 51, of Lubbock, was sentenced in May 2026 to 180 months (15 years) in federal prison.

Williams, Pruitt, Garza, Duncan, and Pena were sentenced by United States District Judge James Wesley Hendrix. Young was sentenced by Fifth Circuit Judge Andrew S. Oldham, sitting by assignment.

Court documents reflect that beginning as early as 2020, the defendants conspired to distribute large quantities of methamphetamine in Lubbock and Post. Agents investigated the conspiracy over several months, culminating in the execution of several search warrants resulting in the seizure of approximately 985 grams of methamphetamine, $9,816 in currency, and multiple firearms. Searches of the defendants’ cellular phones revealed extensive communications where they would coordinate their methamphetamine trafficking operation. One set of messages between the conspirators also discussed destroying evidence prior to law enforcement’s execution of a search warrant.

The Texas Department of Public Safety and the Drug Enforcement Administration led the investigation, with substantial assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Lubbock Police Department, Lubbock County Sheriff’s Office, Garza County Sheriff’s Office, and the Texas Anti-Gang Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Rancourt prosecuted the case.

This case is 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 United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting, the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, 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.

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LUBBOCK, Texas – United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas, Ryan Raybould, announced the July 10 conviction of a Bernalillo County, New Mexico Sheriff’s Office detective for obstructing Drug Enforcement Administration investigations and making a false statement to the FBI.

After five days of trial and three hours of deliberation, a New Mexico jury convicted Paul Jessen, Jr., 36, of one count of conspiracy to obstruct justice, two counts of obstruction of justice, and one count of making a false statement.  

Due to a recusal by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico, Assistant U.S. Attorneys from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas prosecuted the case. The trial was held in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

“Paul Jessen, Jr. violated his oath, betrayed his position of public trust and jeopardized the safety of fellow law enforcement officers when he compromised DEA operations by providing confidential information to a known drug trafficker” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould. “When given the opportunity to do the right thing, Jessen compounded his criminality by lying to the FBI and further obfuscating justice. Most law enforcement officers serve with honor and distinction, but those rare few like this former Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Deputy who abuse their positions of trust will be held accountable by the Department of Justice. Credit to the agents who investigated and the Northern District of Texas AUSAs who prosecuted this very important public corruption case in New Mexico.”

“Jessen failed to conduct his work with honor and integrity when he used his law enforcement position to obstruct a DEA investigation and made a false statement in an attempt to avoid accountability,” said Special Agent in Charge Cloey Pierce of the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General’s (DOJ OIG) South Central Region. “The DOJ OIG, along with its law enforcement partners, is committed to rooting out this kind of wrongdoing and bringing perpetrators to justice.”

“The integrity of the criminal justice system depends on law enforcement officers honoring their oath and protecting the sensitive information entrusted to them. By tipping off the subject of an active investigation, Jessen not only compromised investigative efforts but also put fellow law enforcement personnel in unnecessary risk and betrayed the public's confidence,” said Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office. “We remain steadfast in our commitment to working with our partners to protect the integrity of our investigations and ensure that anyone who violates the public's trust is held accountable.” 

According to evidence presented at trial, Paul Jessen, Jr. and former BCSO Detective Kyle Linker recruited a drug trafficker to work as a confidential informant in July 2021.  In November 2021, a DEA agent notified Linker that the agency planned to conduct an operation near the confidential informant’s home.  Fearing the operation might target the BCSO confidential informant, Linker reached out to warn him about the impending operation.  As a result, the confidential informant changed the location of a drug deal and canceled another deal altogether.

At trial, prosecutors introduced text messages between Linker and Jessen.  The text messages showed that the two BSCO detectives harbored personal animus against the DEA in Albuquerque because they believed the DEA was stealing their targets.  In one message, Linker wrote: “I should tell [confidential informant] to tip off [drug trafficker] hahahaha.” Jessen replied, “Do it!”  Also, in response to learning about a DEA operation, Jessen wrote: “It would be a shame if there is nothing there.” Linker responded, “Gonna be a real shame.”  

In early December 2021, Jessen received information about an upcoming DEA operation. Jessen sent a text saying: “It’s happing this upcoming week.” Two minutes later, Linker sent the confidential informant a text warning, “Fairly certain [drug trafficker] getting hit Mon or Wed next week. Got a tip.”

Upon examining the confidential informant’s phone records, DEA agents began to suspect that he had been tipped off by Linker and decided to conduct another operation without notifying Linker first. 

According to additional evidence admitted during trial, in December 2021, the DEA executed a search warrant at the confidential informant’s residence and located more than 470 grams of methamphetamine, fentanyl pills, and a firearm. During the ensuing interview, the confidential informant admitted to the agents that he had been previously tipped off by Linker. The DEA devised a plan to confirm the confidential informant’s statement. 

Shortly thereafter, an agent contacted Linker to inform him the DEA was planning to conduct a controlled purchase from the confidential informant. Although the agent specifically instructed Linker not to contact the informant, Linker messaged the informant to “call me ASAP.” Unbeknownst to Linker, the confidential informant was still in the presence of law enforcement. 

The informant called Linker, who told him he was “on DEA’s radar” and instructed him to have someone else deliver drugs to the DEA.  

Shortly after receiving word from the DEA that the operation would continue as planned, Linker texted Jessen to complain about the DEA’s plan. 

“Tell [confidential informant] not to sell to anyone. And go to a hotel or stay with someone else for a bit,” Jessen responded. 

“What I should do is have you call [confidential informant] that way when they ultimately say I tipped [confidential informant] off I can show them my call logs and be like I haven’t talked to him since this morning, “Linker texted back. 

“I’ll [expletive] do it,” Jessen allegedly responded. 

“Perfect,” Linker said. “Plausible deniability for me.” 

Prosecutors introduced evidence that Linker used Jessen’s cell phone to contact the confidential informant to further warn that the DEA was planning to target the confidential informant.  

The jury also saw evidence of a meeting between Jessen and the confidential informant. Jessen searched the confidential informant to see if he was wearing a wire and said: “If I find out that you’re like working for the DEA and you’re gonna try and rat me out, like I’m not gonna answer your phone calls or anything.”

Jessen was interviewed by an FBI special agent in January 2022. The jury found that Jessen made a false statement during the interview when he denied personal knowledge of anything inappropriate between Linker and the confidential informant.

Jessen faces up to 65 years in federal prison. His sentencing date has not been set but will be scheduled before Senior U.S. District Judge James O. Browning, from the District of New Mexico, Albuquerque Division, who presided over the trial.

Linker pled guilty to obstruction of justice and was sentenced to eight months’ custody, resulting in a 30-day imprisonment term, followed by seven months of location monitoring.

The Department of Justice Office of Inspector General, the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, and the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Albuquerque District Office conducted the investigation. Northern District of Texas Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sean Long and Ryan Redd prosecuted the case in the District of New Mexico.  

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An Arlington, Texas resident with ties to several Arlington and Mansfield churches was indicted for alleged conduct related to a scheme to defraud through his church-related entities, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould.

Richard Reinaldo Garcia, 53, was indicted by a federal grand jury in Fort Worth on June 2, for one count of wire fraud conspiracy, two counts of wire fraud, and one count of aggravated identity theft. 

“The defendant allegedly took advantage of his victims’ faith by promising significant profits through investment opportunities but instead used their funds to selfishly enrich himself at their expense,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould. “We will not stand idly by while North Texans fall victim to these unscrupulous schemes, and my office will work hard to seek out and prosecute those that commit these types of crimes.”

“The FBI remains committed to investigating those who misuse positions of trust to further fraudulent investment schemes.  The FBI encourages anyone who may be a victim to access the Seeking Victims page on our website,” said FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock.

According to the indictment, from August 2021 through April 2025, Garcia and others allegedly made false material misstatements based, in part, on the promise of significant profits for his victims. The misstatements, among other things, induced victims to enter into agreements and provide funds for “church flipping” real estate improvement projects and “joint venture” agreements to host Christian music concerts and other church programs.  Garcia then allegedly used victim funds to pay for his own personal expenses and business operating expenses.

The indictment alleges that Garcia controlled bank accounts in church-related entity names, such as Ministerio Gracia, Iglesia Gracia de Texas, Gracia Church of Texas, and Pesar de Todo, LLC (“relevant entity names”). Garcia allegedly directed several victims to transfer their funds to accounts held in these relevant entity names and to label the funds as “donations” for Gracia Church, when in reality, the funds were solicited for use in the relevant fraudulent scheme. According to the indictment, over 50 victims across the United States and internationally paid over $3.2 million to Garcia as a result of his scheme to defraud.

The case is set for trial in Fort Worth on Oct. 13. If convicted, Garcia faces a sentence of up to 20 years in federal prison for each count of wire fraud, conspiracy and wire fraud, and a mandatory sentence of two years in prison for the aggravated identity theft count. 

The FBI requests that if you or someone you know is a potential victim of this alleged fraudulent scheme, please go to one of the websites listed below for additional information and click on the link to fill out the “Seeking Information Questionnaire.”

English version:  fbi.gov/GraciaChurchvictims

Spanish version:  fbi.gov/GraciaChurchVictimsEspanol

The FBI’s Fort Worth Resident Agency conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mac McDonald is prosecuting the case.

An indictment is merely an allegation of criminal conduct, not evidence.  All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

The Department of Justice announced the results of Operation Spring Cleaning, a nationwide initiative spearheaded by the FBI to combat gang-related threats and enhance public safety. The operation coordinated with federal, state, and local law enforcement and targeted the illegal flow of firearms and narcotics in our communities. The operation began on March 1 and ended May 31.

In total, Operation Spring Cleaning led to over 1100 arrests, over 600 charges filed, and almost 600 search warrants conducted. The operation also resulted in the seizure of:

• Almost 1000 illegal firearms, dozens of which were equipped with machine gun conversion devices (MCDs) as well as over 75 stand-alone MCDs
• Over 2,700 pounds of illegal narcotics including:
  • Over 500 kilograms of cocaine or more than 1100 pounds
  • Nearly 700 pounds of methamphetamine
  • Over 550 pounds of marijuana
  • Nearly 50 kilograms of fentanyl or more than 100 pounds
  • Almost 40 kilograms of heroin or more than 85 pounds
  • More than 7 kilograms of crack cocaine or more than 16 pounds
  • More than 13,200 pills of MDMA, also known as ecstasy or molly

“When our neighborhoods are safe from the scourge of deadly drugs, individuals and families can prosper,” said Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. “The Trump Administration has made significant progress in removing this poison from our streets, a key step in our commitment to making America safe again.”

“This FBI understands that communities across our country have been ravaged by gangs and the firearms and narcotics they flood our streets with,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “Operation Spring Cleaning represents our total commitment to crushing this kind of violent crime and eliminating the criminal networks who facilitate them – with over 1,000 arrests, 1,000 firearms seized, and 3,000 pounds of narcotics removed from our neighborhoods. Righteous operations like this show this FBI is only getting started and will continue delivering the most prolific run of crime reduction in U.S. history.”

“These operations underscore our commitment to removing illegal guns and drugs from our streets so that we can all live in a safer community,” said United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould. “We are proud to work alongside our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners as we continue to fight for and protect North Texans.”

“Operation Spring Cleaning is another example of how the FBI is working with our partners to combat illegal gang activity,” said FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock. “We will continue to work together to reduce violent crime and increase safety in our North Texas communities.”

In the Northern District of Texas, 27 individuals were arrested and charged as part of Operation Spring Cleaning, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould and said FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock.
Additionally, FBI Dallas conducted 44 operations during Operation Spring Cleaning. After executing 6 search warrants, investigators seized approximately 5.35 kilograms of cocaine, 27.3 pounds methamphetamine, 127.9 pounds marijuana, $273,000 of US Currency, $20,000 worth of jewelry, a Mercedes Benz, and 73 firearms and machine-gun conversion devices.

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A Dallas man was federally indicted on May 20, 2026, for his role in an alleged precious metals scam targeting elderly victims, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould.

Damien Moran, 36, was indicted with ten counts of wire fraud.  On June 17, 2026, he made his initial appearance before United States Magistrate Judge Brian McKay.

According to the indictment, Moran allegedly owned and operated several companies that targeted elderly individuals to use their retirement savings to purchase precious metals, such as gold and silver coins, from his companies.  However, as alleged in the indictment, Moran fraudulently sold the precious metals at significantly inflated prices without disclosing the markups to his customers.  Additionally, as alleged in the indictment, Moran, on several occasions, failed to deliver the precious metals his customers had purchased.

“This office is committed to standing up and protecting seniors and elderly folks from scams,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould.  “Those in North Texas should read this indictment as a sign of things to come.  If you have or plan to target seniors and elderly folks, we will find you, charge you, and seek stiff prison sentences.”

“This indictment demonstrates the lengths to which some criminals will go to defraud vulnerable members of our communities,” said FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock. “The FBI encourages the public to thoroughly research any investment opportunity and to contact us immediately if they suspect fraud."

If convicted, Moran faces up to 20 years in federal prison for each wire fraud count.

The FBI Dallas Field Office conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Marty Basu is prosecuting the case.

An indictment is merely an allegation of criminal conduct, not evidence.  All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
 

A convicted sex offender residing in Amarillo was sentenced to 40 years in federal prison and ordered to pay restitution for transporting child sexual abuse material, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould. 

In January 2026, Matthew Albert Tate, 57, pled guilty to transportation of child pornography.  He was sentenced on May 27, 2026, to 480 months in federal prison by United States District Judge Matthew J. Kacsmaryk.  The Court also ordered him to pay $96,500 in restitution. 

“This defendant chose time and time again to abuse children and proliferate sexual abuse material online.  He will, rightly so, spend the rest of his life behind bars,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould.  “The judge in this case also ordered that he pay restitution back to the victims for his heinous crimes.  My office has and will continue to fight every day for victims of child abuse.  I’m proud of the AUSA prosecuting this case – she is simply a warrior for some of the most vulnerable folks in our communities – and I thank the great agents who work tirelessly, often at a severe personal cost, to ensure that justice is done for the child victims.  NDTX is lucky to have these public servants fighting on behalf of our communities.”

“There is no greater betrayal than the sexual exploitation of a child and further contributing to their continued victimization through the distribution of child sexual abuse material,” said Travis Pickard, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations Dallas.  “This sentence reflects the devastating harm these crimes inflict on children and sends a clear message to those who prey on our most vulnerable: HSI and its law enforcement partners will ensure you face the full force of the law for your horrific acts .”

According to court records, in April 2025, law enforcement initiated an investigation into child pornography trafficking from an IP address in the Amarillo area.  The user of the IP address was identified as Matthew Albert Tate.  Tate was a registered sex offender for prior criminal convictions involving the sexual abuse of a child and possession of child pornography.  The investigation revealed that beginning around January of 2025, Tate used an online file sharing platform to allow other users to download child sexual abuse material, including of prepubescent minors.  In May 2025, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Tate’s Amarillo residence wherein they confiscated multiple electronic devices belonging to Tate.  A forensic search revealed multiple videos and photographs of child sexual abuse material in violation of federal law.  Agents were also able to determine that Tate likely transferred the files from his Dell laptop computer to another electronic storage device using Internet connections and various file-sharing platforms.  Tate later admitted to law enforcement that he downloaded and saved child pornography and traded child pornography online.  Tate further admitted that he knew what he did was criminal.

Additional details about Tate’s background and prior convictions were discussed at his sentencing hearing.  In 1997, Tate was arrested for sexually abusing a child younger than 14 and creating child pornography of her.  He also possessed child pornography of other victims.  The defendant was convicted of aggravated sexual assault of a child, indecency with a child, and possession of child pornography for that conduct.  He was sentenced to 30 years imprisonment and was paroled in 2021 after serving approximately 24 years.  He was on parole and required to register as a sex offender at the time of his arrest in May 2025 for trading child pornography with other online users.  Tate also possessed a total of 3,246 individual files of child sexual abuse material on his devices, including material that involved 16 different victims who have been identified through the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.   

Homeland Security Investigations, Dallas Field Office (Amarillo Resident Agency) and the Texas Department of Public Safety conducted the investigation with assistance from the Texas Department of Criminal Justice Parole Division.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Callie Woolam prosecuted the case.

The Justice Department is committed to combating child sexual exploitation and brought this case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc.  

The Department partners with and oversees funding grants for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), which receives and shares tips about possible child sexual exploitation received through its 24/7 hotline at 1-800-THE-LOST and on missingkids.org.

Additional details about Tate’s background and prior convictions were discussed at his sentencing hearing.  In 1997, Tate was arrested for sexually abusing a child younger than 14 and creating child pornography of her.  He also possessed child pornography of other victims.  The defendant was convicted of aggravated sexual assault of a child, indecency with a child, and possession of child pornography for that conduct.  He was sentenced to 30 years imprisonment and was paroled in 2021 after serving approximately 24 years.  He was on parole and required to register as a sex offender at the time of his arrest in May 2025 for trading child pornography with other online users.  Tate also possessed a total of 3,246 individual files of child sexual abuse material on his devices, including material that involved 16 different victims who have been identified through the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.   

Homeland Security Investigations, Dallas Field Office (Amarillo Resident Agency) and the Texas Department of Public Safety conducted the investigation with assistance from the Texas Department of Criminal Justice Parole Division.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Callie Woolam prosecuted the case.

The Justice Department is committed to combating child sexual exploitation and brought this case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc.  

The Department partners with and oversees funding grants for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), which receives and shares tips about possible child sexual exploitation received through its 24/7 hotline at 1-800-THE-LOST and on missingkids.org.
 

An Amarillo ISD coach who sexually abused a 17-year-old student was sentenced to 18 years in federal prison, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould.

Nicholas Jade Herrmann, 32, was sentenced to 18 years in federal prison on June 23, 2026, by United States District Judge Matthew J. Kacsmaryk for enticement of a minor.  The Court also ordered that the prison term be followed by 25 years of supervised release, and Hermann will also have to register as a sex offender.  

“When parents send their children to school, they place their trust in the school’s staff not only to provide them with an education but also to keep them safe,” said U.S. Attorney Raybould.  “This defendant clearly took advantage of the trust he was given, and his sentence should serve as a warning to others.”

“HSI Dallas is committed to protecting children against anyone abusing their power especially in a trusted position at a school,” said HSI Dallas Special Agent in Charge Travis Pickard.  “Working together with our local and federal partners, and the school district, we were able to ensure this perpetrator cannot hurt anyone else for many years to come.  We will also continue to investigate to identify any other potential victims."

According to court documents, at the time of the offense, Herrmann was an assistant wrestling coach at Tascosa High School in Amarillo, Texas, when he engaged in an inappropriate and sexual relationship with a 17-year-old student. Text messages located on the student’s device revealed that beginning around January 2025, Herrmann began exchanging sexually explicit messages with the student and coerced her to sneak out of her house at night to meet him for sexual activity.

When confronted by law enforcement, Herrmann denied the inappropriate communication and sexual relationship. The student also first lied to law enforcement to protect Herrmann, but later admitted Herrmann had sexual intercourse with her three times on two separate occasions.

At sentencing, the student’s mother detailed how Herrmann’s sexual abuse of her daughter impacted her daughter and their family. Her statement revealed how Herrmann groomed both her daughter and their family to trust him and how his sexual abuse of her daughter completely changed her life’s trajectory.

Homeland Security Investigations and the Amarillo Police Department conducted the investigation with the full cooperation of the Amarillo Independent School District. Assistant U.S. Attorney Callie Woolam prosecuted the case.

The Justice Department is committed to combating child sexual exploitation and brought this case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc.

  
The Department partners with and oversees funding grants for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), which receives and shares tips about possible child sexual exploitation received through its 24/7 hotline at 1-800-THE-LOST and on missingkids.org.
 

Note:  As a courtesy to the public, a copy of the Factual Resume is attached. 

An official copy of this court document can be obtained (irrespective of any markings that may indicate that the document was filed under seal or otherwise marked as not available for public dissemination) on the Public Access to Court Electronic Records website at https://pacer.uscourts.gov.

A former Texas Tech marketing and supply chain professor pled guilty today for his leadership role in a fentanyl distribution conspiracy, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould.

Daniel Taylor, 51, of Lubbock, Texas, was charged in February 2026 with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl.  On July 1, 2026, he pled guilty to conspiring to distribute more than 40 grams of fentanyl.  During the entire scope of the conspiracy, Taylor was employed as an assistant professor of marketing and supply chain management at the Texas Tech University Rawls College of Business.  He admitted in court documents that his educational background and expertise in supply chain management helped to further or advance his fentanyl distribution network.

“Taylor utilized his education and background in supply chain management to build and operate his own supply chain of dangerous narcotics in the Lubbock area, primarily dealing out of the Executive Inn,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould.  “With his pink flamingo and ghost branding of fentanyl, he also drugged prostitutes to fuel his own sexual desires.  I expect—and we will certainly be asking for—a severe prison sentence to hold him accountable for the harm he caused our community.”  

“This defendant exploited the knowledge and credibility he gained as a university professor to build a fentanyl trafficking operation that put lives at risk throughout the Lubbock community,” said Special Agent in Charge Joseph B. Tucker of the DEA Dallas Field Division.  “DEA and our law enforcement partners remain committed to identifying and dismantling the criminal networks responsible for distributing fentanyl, and we will continue pursuing those who profit from this deadly poison.”

According to court documents, agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and Caprock High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force began investigating Taylor and others in June 2025, after receiving information that a Texas Tech professor named “Dan” was distributing fentanyl powder in Lubbock.

In January 2026, agents were conducting surveillance on Taylor when they observed him leave his residence with a female.  They followed Taylor and the female as Taylor drove (them) to the Executive Inn in Lubbock.  At the Executive Inn, Taylor and the female picked up a second female.  Agents learned that, while this second female was in custody in September 2025, Taylor created an account through the jail electronic messaging system and used it to put money on her jail account and to arrange to pick her up upon her release from jail.

Shortly thereafter, agents obtained a court order to place a GPS tracking device on Taylor’s vehicle.  

On January 12, 2026, agents and watched Taylor leave his residence and travel to a convenience store off Frankford Avenue.  Inside the store, Taylor made contact with the female he previously picked up at the Executive Inn, who followed Taylor outside and entered Taylor’s vehicle for less than a minute before exiting and returning to her vehicle, some of which is depicted below:

Agents believed they had witnessed a narcotics transaction and conducted a traffic stop on the female’s vehicle.  As a Lubbock County Sheriff’s Office deputy approached the vehicle, the occupants began telling the deputy that there was a male in the back seat experiencing a drug overdose.  Paramedics arrived and transported the individual to the University Medical Center (UMC) hospital in Lubbock.  The individual required endotracheal intubation and was intubated for approximately three days.  The individual’s treating physician stated that he was experiencing imminent, life-threatening deterioration as a result of an opioid overdose.

 
Subsequent investigation revealed that Taylor had just distributed two different types of fentanyl powder to the female:  white fentanyl powder, marketed as “ghost,” and a pink powder that the DEA laboratory determined to be a combination of fentanyl and bromazoloam, a benzodiazepine that was emergency scheduled by the DEA as a Schedule I controlled substance in March 2026.  Taylor marketed the pink powder as “pink flamingo.”  The individuals in the vehicle began consuming the drugs immediately after obtaining it from Taylor, causing the individual’s overdose.

On February 17, 2026, agents were conducting surveillance on Taylor when they observed another female leaving his house with fentanyl powder.  Agents obtained a search warrant for Taylor’s residence, where the found a station containing a heat-sealer, multiple clear and pink plastic baggies, and a handwritten note describing the recipe for “flamingo,” which was indicated to be 60% “ghost” fentanyl powder and “8mg bromazoloam per point (appx. 2 Xanax bars).  Inside a Pelican case, agents found numerous containers of suspected fentanyl powder, baggies with stickers of scissors on them containing a white powdery substance.  Agents also located a pink container with several doses of Narcan.  Flamingo-related paraphernalia, including small flamingo stickers, keychains, and pink envelopes.  Inside the kitchen, agents found a sign with cartoon flamingos holding cocktails.  Various items were seized during the execution of the search warrant, some of which are depicted below:

The drugs were analyzed by the DEA laboratory and confirmed Taylor’s possession of various quantities of fentanyl, bromazoloam, cocaine base (also known as crack cocaine), methamphetamine, ketamine, and 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA).

Inside Taylor’s home office, agents observed that his computer monitor displayed a photograph of a young adult female dressed in lingerie and posing on Taylor’s bed.  Subsequent investigation revealed that Taylor was providing fentanyl powder to prostitutes in exchange for sex.  Three different cooperating sources independently stated the following:  that females would arrange to meet with Taylor at his residence through text messaging applications.  Upon their arrival, Taylor would have a small quantity of fentanyl powder, and sometimes methamphetamine, out on his kitchen counter.  The women would consume the narcotics and would then be directed to shower in Taylor’s bathroom, where he would often have a gift basket that included lingerie, a toothbrush, a razor, and perfume.  The women would shower and put on the lingerie, and Taylor would often photograph the women in the lingerie before having sex with them.  Taylor would then provide the women with additional fentanyl powder, and occasionally cocaine, methamphetamine, or MDMA, and they would leave.

In total, Taylor admitted to distributing fentanyl powder to three different prostitutes several times a week for at least two years, and that he had been selling “pink flamingo” fentanyl powder for approximately eight months.  Taylor was told by the women that the ghost fentanyl powder was causing people to overdose.  Taylor then started mixing ghost with bromazoloam and would mix the substances with water and red food coloring, which would turn the powder pink.  Taylor chose to call and market the substance as “pink flamingo.”  Taylor would put cartoon flamingo stickers on his product and conceal the narcotics inside different types of snack and candy packaging and would heat-seal the packages to make it look as though the packages had never been opened.

  
Taylor referred to the prostitutes as his “flamingo fam” and that he had a plan to purchase a house for himself and the prostitutes to all live together.

Confidential sources confirmed that several individuals had overdosed on fentanyl supplied by Taylor and had to be administered Narcan.  On one occasion, a prostitute overdosed on fentanyl at Taylor’s house, and Taylor had to administer two doses of Narcan to revive her.  In total, Taylor admitted to causing at least eight overdoses on fentanyl powder he had supplied.  On one coconspirator’s phone, agents found a video taken in 2025 of an adult male appearing to suffer from a drug overdose.  During the recording, the camera panned to drugs and drug paraphernalia on a table, including a clear plastic baggie with a flamingo sticker, as depicted below:

Taylor remains in federal custody pending sentencing before United States District Judge James Wesley Hendrix.  The date for the sentencing hearing is currently pending.  Taylor faces a statutory maximum sentence of 40 years in federal prison and a $5,000,000 fine.

This investigation was a joint operation of the Texas Anti-Gang Center and the Caprock Hi-Intensity Drug Trafficking Area. This group is composed of agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Texas Department of Public Safety, the Lubbock County Sheriff’s Office, and the Lubbock Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Rancourt is prosecuting the case.

Eight Illegal Alien Tren de Aragua Members from Venezuela Charged with Kidnappings that Resulted in Death, Racketeering Involving Murder, and Other Violent Offenses in Texas and Illinois Following Homeland Security Task Force Investigations

Note: A copy of the indictment in the Northern District of Texas can be found here. A copy of the complaint and affidavit in the Northern District of Illinois can be found here.
 

During a press conference held on July 1, 2026, in Washington, D.C., the Department of Justice announced charges filed in the Northern Districts of Texas and Illinois against eight alleged members of designated foreign terrorist organization Tren de Aragua (TdA) for murders, kidnappings, and firearms offenses. All eight defendants charged in these Homeland Security Task Force operations are illegal aliens believed to be from Venezuela who illegally enter the United States between December 2021 and April 2024. One defendant charged in Northern Texas is now in custody in Colombia for unrelated charges.

  
“Eight TdA members illegally entered the United States between 2021 and 2024 and are alleged to have committed horrific crimes, including murdering a father in front of his teenage daughter,” said Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. “This should never have happened in the first place, but under the Biden administration, open-border policies left the doors wide open, and hundreds of suspected and convicted Tren de Aragua terrorists poured into this country. In the 18 months since President Trump stopped this madness, designating Tren de Aragua a foreign terrorist organization, we have charged nearly 350 of its members and associates with egregious violent crimes – murders, sex trafficking, kidnapping – along with weapons and drug trafficking, robbery, and widespread financial crimes. This work requires an all government, all law enforcement approach, which is precisely what has happened under the leadership of President Trump.”

TdA is a violent transnational criminal organization that originated as a prison gang in Venezuela in the mid-2000s. TdA has expanded its criminal network throughout the Western Hemisphere and established a presence in the United States. TdA’s criminal activities include a variety of violent and criminal offenses, including drug trafficking, firearms trafficking, commercial sex trafficking, kidnapping, robbery, theft, fraud, and extortion. TdA members also commit murder, assault, and other acts of violence to enforce and further the organization’s criminal activities.

As alleged in court documents, in the United States, TdA is organized into subsets or cells based on geographic area of operation. Each regional cell typically has one or more leaders who are responsible for, among other things, managing the criminal enterprise’s activities in the territory, collecting money from other members and associates to finance gang activities and crimes, directing day-to-day management of the region, and planning and ordering acts of violence against rival gang members, associates, and other victims. The leaders of these subsets or cells report to, receive directives from, and distribute criminally-derived assets and proceeds to TdA leaders throughout the United States, Mexico, Central America, and South America.

Since Jan. 20, 2025, the Department has federally charged over 300 members and associates of TdA across 28 districts.

“On this 250th anniversary of the birth of our great nation, I am reminded of how lucky we are to enjoy the many freedoms that our country provides. Which is why, as U.S. Attorney, I am laser focused on ensuring that North Texans can enjoy freedom and safety in all our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould for the Northern District of Texas. “This indictment of TdA gang members is a significant step to ensure that this dangerous transnational gang does not oppress, intimidate or harm our fellow North Texans. Let this serve as a warning to all TdA members: you will not gain a stronghold in the Northern District of Texas.”

“President Trump‘s historic leadership designating Tren de Aragua as a Foreign Terrorist Organization has given this FBI and our law-enforcement partners the tools we need to wipe out their operations,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “Now, every single day across this country, we are decimating their presence in America - dismantling and disrupting over 2,700 violent gangs, a 365% increase, with a 500% increase in Tren de Aragua arrests since 2024. Today, thanks to tremendous work from FBI Chicago, FBI Dallas, and our partners as part of the FBI’s nationwide violent crime initiative Summer Heat 2.0, eight more alleged TdA members who entered the United States under the previous administration have been indicted or arrested and will face justice for their crimes.”

“The complaint against these three TdA members should leave no doubt that the Chicago U.S. Attorney’s Office is going to aggressively pursue transnational criminal organizations and hold their members and associates accountable for their violent criminal acts,” said U.S. Attorney Andrew Boutros for the Northern District of Illinois. “We will continue to prioritize the investigation and prosecution of TdA, which very deservedly has been designated by President Trump and his Administration as a terrorist organization. Our shared goal is crystal clear: to disrupt and dismantle TdA and not allow it to gain a foothold in the United States or Chicagoland. This Fourth of July weekend, as we celebrate the 250th birthday of the greatest nation on earth, many families in the Chicago area will celebrate with loved ones because the whole of federal government in Chicago is taking violent crime seriously and in a way that hasn’t been seen in years. The result is that the scourge of violence that has gripped Chicago for too long is beginning to see relief.”

“Violent transnational gangs like Tren de Aragua pose a significant and ongoing threat to the safety of our communities,” said Acting Executive Associate Director John A. Condon of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). “This indictment is a testament to the dedication of our agents and the strength of our partnership through the Homeland Security Task Force. By working closely with federal, state, and local law enforcement, HSI continues to disrupt violent criminal organizations and protect communities across the United States.”

Case summaries are below:

Northern District of Texas

On June 30, a grand jury in the Northern District of Texas returned charges against five alleged members of TdA. All five defendants are citizens and nationals of Venezuela.

The defendants Hector Asdrubal Garcia Zuniga, also known as “Murry” and “Munra,” 36; Carlos Luis Zambrano Bolivar, 27; Jhonny Jesus Martinez Serrano, 31; Jhonatan Nahin Toro Gonzalez, 23; and Ehiker Alexander Morales Mendoza, also known as “El Ingeniero” and “El Negro,” 39, were indicted on racketeering charges involving murder, kidnapping, and other violent offenses.

Each defendant is charged with racketeering conspiracy for allegedly conspiring and agreeing with one another, and with others, to conduct and participate directly and indirectly in the conduct of the affairs of the TdA enterprise through a pattern of racketeering activity, which consisted of multiple acts involving murder, kidnapping, robbery, and bank fraud. Each defendant is charged with kidnapping in aid of racketeering for allegedly kidnapping three individuals on or about August 24, 2024, for the purpose of maintaining and increasing position in TdA. Garcia Zuniga, Zambrano Bolivar, and Martinez Serrano are also charged with murder in aid of racketeering for allegedly aiding and abetting each other in committing the murder of one of the individuals who was kidnapped on or about August 24, 2024. Additionally, Zambrano Bolivar is charged with using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence and causing death through the use of a firearm.

The charges were announced by U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould for the Northern District of Texas, Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock of the FBI Dallas Field Office, Special Agent in Charge Travis Pickard of HSI Dallas Field Office, and Chief of Police Kevin McCoy of the Farmers Branch, Texas Police Department.

 
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeremy Fugate and Caroline Poore for the Northern District of Texas and Joint Task Force Vulcan Trial Attorneys Jacob Operskalski, Kelly McGann, Stefani Hepford, and Josie Thomas are prosecuting this case.

Northern District of Illinois

On June 29, three alleged members of the transnational criminal organization, TdA, were charged in the Northern District of Illinois with participating in a conspiracy to kidnap and murder a man in Chicago.

The criminal complaint charges Josue Pacheco Torres, 26, Julian Pachano, 19, and Kleiver Monasterio Briceno, also known as “Goofy,” 20, with kidnapping conspiracy and committing a kidnapping that resulted in death. The three defendants are believed to be Venezuelan nationals. Pachano was arrested late last night, while Torres was arrested early yesterday morning. Monasterio Briceno was already in law enforcement custody.

According to the complaint, the defendants conspired to kidnap a man who was walking near Meyering Park on the South Side of Chicago on May 18.  The victim was forced into a car and initially driven to a Chicago apartment. The defendants and other co-conspirators later transported the victim — while his wrists were bound together behind his back — to an abandoned building in Chicago, the complaint states. 

The following night, the victim’s mother contacted Chicago Police to request a wellness check at the abandoned building. The mother told police that she had been directed to the building by an individual with whom the mother had been communicating on the online messaging application WhatsApp. According to the complaint, Chicago Police entered the building and found the victim deceased inside the bathroom of an abandoned unit. The victim, who was discovered facedown with his wrists bound behind his back, had been shot multiple times and had also suffered blunt force injuries to his head, arms, neck, hands, and torso, the complaint states.

According to the complaint, the conspiracy to kidnap and murder the victim was carried out in connection with the defendants’ involvement in TdA. Since 2024, law enforcement in Chicago has been investigating acts of violence, including murders and shootings, involving suspected members of TdA and its splinter faction, Anti-Tren.
Additionally, at the time of the murder, Pacheco Torres was wearing an ankle monitoring bracelet as a condition of his pretrial release in a criminal prosecution pending in the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois.

The charges and arrests were announced by U.S. Attorney Andrew S. Boutros for the Northern District of Illinois, Special Agent in Charge Douglas S. DePodesta of the FBI Chicago Field Office, and Special Agent in Charge Matthew Scarpino of HSI Chicago Field Office. The Chicago Police Department and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Chicago Field Office provided valuable assistance in this investigation.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sushma Raju, Simar Khera, and Michael Spitulnik for the Northern District of Illinois and Joint Task Force Vulcan Trial Attorneys Jun Xiang, Katelan Doyle, and Andrew K. Chan are prosecuting this case.

If convicted, the defendants in both the Northern District of Texas and the Northern District of Illinois and face up to life in prison. Pacheco Torres, Monasteria Briceno, Garcia Zuniga, Zambrano Bolivar, and Martinez Serrano also face the possibility of the death penalty.

These cases are part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) 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 committed by these organizations, 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. HSTFs Chicago and Dallas comprise of agents and officers from the FBI, HSI, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives ATF, IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), U.S. Secret Service (USSS), U.S. Marshals Service, U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Department of State’s Bureau of Diplomatic Security Service (DSS), HIDTA, and other federal, state, and local law enforcement, with the prosecution being led by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern Districts of Illinois and Texas.

These cases are also part of Joint Task Force Vulcan (JTFV). JTFV was created in 2019 to eradicate MS-13 and now expanded at the direction of the Attorney General to target TdA. JTFV is comprised of U.S. Attorney’s Offices across the country, including the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York; Eastern and Western Districts of North Carolina; Western District of Virginia; Southern District of Florida; Eastern District of Texas; Western District of Oklahoma; Northern District of Indiana; District of Nevada; and District of Arizona; as well as the Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys, and the Department of Justice’s National Security Division, and the Office of Judicial Attaché and DEA partners in Bogotá, Colombia. Additionally, the FBI, HSI, ATF, U.S. Marshals Service, and the Federal Bureau of Prisons are essential law enforcement partners with JTFV.

A complaint and indictment are merely allegations of criminal conduct.  All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

A Mexican national was charged by criminal complaint for operating a drone without the proper authorization in violation of federal law, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould.

Cristobal Torres Alvarez, 40, was charged by federal complaint on June 29, 2026, with operating as an airman without an airman’s certificate, in violation of 49 U.S.C. § 46306(b)(7).

“The FIFA World Cup 2026 continues to be a success in North Texas. Fans from all over the world are getting a big Texas welcome. It is our duty to make sure that these fans as well as our great citizens of North Texas are protected from drone interference and potentially dangerous situations,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould.  “If you operate a drone, you have a duty to know the law. And know that you cannot fly a drone over either Dallas Stadium or Fan Fest during the World Cup.  If you disregard this warning, you should expect to be prosecuted in federal court.”  

“The FBI and our partners will continue to identify drone operators who violate Temporary Flight Restrictions. Our collective goal remains that FIFA World Cup 2026 events are safe for all participants and attendees,” said FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock. “Before you fly a drone, I strongly encourage you to check for active flight restrictions using an FAA-approved B4UFLY service provider.” 

According to the complaint, Alvarez allegedly flew his unregistered drone, a DJI Mini 4 PRO, in the flight-restricted airspace around Dallas Stadium (also known as AT&T Stadium) while a Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) was in effect. To legally operate his drone within the flight-restricted airspace, Alvarez must have obtained an Airman’s Certificate and must have been a Part 107-licensed pilot with a current certificate or have a Certificate of Waiver or Authorization, among other requirements. Interception of Alvarez’s drone operation was part of the FBI’s drone counter-surveillance efforts for the FIFA World Cup match at Dallas Stadium that same evening.

So far, during the five FIFA World Cup 2026 games held in Arlington, over 70 drones have been seized. The FBI would like to once again state that there is a “no-fly zone” around the Dallas Stadium and Dallas Fan Fest for three hours prior to each match and three hours after each match. It is a federal crime to fly a drone into a “no-fly zone.” 

If convicted, Alvarez faces up to three years in federal prison. The defendant remains in custody pending further court proceedings.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation – Dallas Field Division, Federal Air Marshal, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Arlington, Texas Police Department, Texas Parks and Wildlife, and the Texas Department of Public Safety conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric B. Chen is prosecuting the case.

A criminal complaint is merely an allegation of criminal conduct, not evidence. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

A Peruvian national who committed an armed carjacking was sentenced to 14 years in federal prison, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould. 

Omar Gayoso, 22, pled guilty in March 2026, to carjacking and discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, in connection with a July 2025 armed carjacking.  On June 24, 2026, United States District Judge Ed Kinkeade sentenced Gayoso to 168 months in federal prison. The Court also ordered Gayoso to pay $26,000 in restitution.

“This defendant not only entered our country illegally, but once he got here, he committed horrendous crimes, including carjacking, assault, and discharging a firearm while committing a violent crime,” said U.S. Attorney Raybould. “It doesn’t end there. He led officers on a high-speed chase around the streets of Dallas, jeopardizing the safety of dozens of other North Texans as well as our great DPD officers. This 14-year sentence reflects the seriousness of his crimes, and once he is done serving all that time, he will be on a one-way flight back to Peru.”  

  
“This defendant committed serious crimes that put the community and police officers in danger. Violent acts like this cannot and will not be tolerated in North Texas.  ATF will leverage its resources to ensure that people who commit acts like this end up exactly where they should end up . . . Federal Prison,” said Special Agent in Charge Brian Garner of the ATF Dallas Field Division.

According to court documents, Gayoso discharged several shots into the air to intimidate the victims and forcibly took their car keys, vehicle, and other property. After driving off in the stolen vehicle, he proceeded to flee from DPD officers and initiated a high-speed chase—at one point reaching a speed of 123 miles per hour—that ended only after he struck another vehicle. 

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Luis Suarez and Ashley Koos prosecuted the case. 
 

A Fort Worth man was sentenced to 40 years in federal prison for possessing with intent to distribute over 244 kilograms of methamphetamine, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould. 

Evaristo Hidrogo, 31, was sentenced on June 26, 2026, by Chief United States District Judge Reed O’Connor for possessing with intent to distribute a controlled substance – over 244 kilograms of methamphetamine with a 100 percent purity level as well as other controlled substances and three firearms.

“This lengthy prison sentence serves as a warning to anyone distributing narcotics in the Northern District of Texas,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould. “We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to identify and prosecute drug traffickers, as we remain committed to make the communities in which we live safer.”  

“This 480-month sentence of Mr. Hidrogo sends an unmistakable message to those who flood North Texas communities with methamphetamine, you will be held accountable,” said DEA Dallas Special Agent in Charge Joseph B. Tucker. “The men and women of DEA and our law enforcement partners remain committed to identifying and dismantling the criminal organizations distributing this poison throughout the DFW Metroplex, and will continue to work tirelessly to ensure the safety of our communities.”

Court records reveal that on November 18, 2025, Hidrogo was involved in a high-speed chase with law enforcement.  After crashing into another vehicle, he continued to flee from officers in his vehicle.  Not long after, Hidrogo was apprehended.  During his arrest, police found 56 grams of methamphetamine on his person.  In his vehicle, they found another 823 grams of methamphetamine, 301 grams of heroin, 55 grams of cocaine, and two firearms.  Further investigation led law enforcement to search two additional locations, resulting in the seizure of additional narcotics and a firearm that were attributed to Hidrogo.  At a storage facility in Fort Worth, they found 244 kilograms of methamphetamine with a purity level of 100 percent.  At a residence, they found approximately 10 kilograms of methamphetamine and two kilograms of heroin.

The investigation was led by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Fort Worth District Office, with assistance from the Tarrant County Sherrif’s Office.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Garland prosecuted the case.
 

Three men were arrested and charged by federal complaint in Abilene, Texas for their roles in a months-long narcotics operation, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould.  

Inez Jonathan Leal, 28, and Joseph Santos Carillo, 51, both from Abilene, Texas, and Luis Arturo Carrillo, Jr., 28, from California, were charged by federal complaint on June 24, 2026, with conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

“This prosecution dismantled a drug trafficking conspiracy impacting Abilene and its surrounding areas.  Three people, working in concert, to move poison through North Texas are now facing justice, and this office will continue to utilize every tool to disrupt drug networks that harm our communities and destroy families,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould.

“Cocaine, methamphetamine, codeine, and counterfeit pills flooding North Texas represent a direct threat to the safety of our communities, and DEA will not stand by while traffickers profit from that danger,” said DEA Dallas Special Agent in Charge Joseph B. Tucker.  “Alongside our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, the DEA is committed to dismantling these networks and holding every individual involved fully accountable.  This case reflects the strength of that partnership and our shared resolve to keep these poisons off our streets.”

According to the criminal complaint, law enforcement agents and officers initiated a joint investigation into the narcotics trafficking of Leal, Joseph Carrillo, and Luis Carrillo.

During a residential search warrant executed on June 24, agents seized: •    Approximately 8 kilograms of cocaine (powder); •    30 kilograms of a methamphetamine; •    Approximately 17,670 alprazolam pills – labeled as Farmapram, weighing approximately 4.5 kilograms; •    93 bottles of cough syrup containing codeine – labeled as Kodel, with a combined weight of 25,854 kilograms;   •    Approximately 75 pounds of marijuana and THC products; and
•    Multiple firearms.

Photos of the narcotics seized are depicted below:
 

If convicted, each defendant faces a statutory maximum penalty of up to life in federal prison. The defendants remain in custody pending further court proceedings.

The Drug Enforcement Administration’s Fort Worth District Office, the Texas Department of Public Safety, and the Abilene Police Department investigated the case.

 
A complaint is merely an allegation of criminal conduct, not evidence. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Remainder of Antifa Cell Members in North Texas Sentenced for Terrorist Attack on ICE Facility

Seven Additional Defendants Sentenced Before One-Year Anniversary of Attack to a Combined 182 Years in Prison

Today, before the one-year anniversary of their attack, seven North Texas Antifa Cell operatives were sentenced for their roles in rioting, using weapons and explosives, providing material support to terrorists, obstruction, and the attempted murder of an Alvarado police officer at the Prairieland Detention Center on July 4, 2025, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould.  

This is the second round of sentencing for the defendants affiliated with Antifa following President Donald J. Trump’s executive order designating the group as a Domestic Terrorist Organization in September 2025.

Last week, the ringleader, Benjamin Hanil Song, was sentenced to 100 years in prison.  

Today, the balance of the Prairieland terrorists received a combined sentence of 106 years in prison: 

• Ines Soto was sentenced to 50 years in prison;
• Joy Gibson was sentenced to 15 years in prison;
• Rebecca Morgan was sentenced to 15 years in prison;
• Lynette Sharp was sentenced to over 9 years (110 months) in prison;
• John Thomas was sentenced to over 9 years (110 months) in prison; 
• Seth Sikes was sentenced to 6 years in prison; and
• Nathan Baumann was sentenced to 22 months in prison.

To date, 15 Prairieland terrorists have received a combined sentence of over 556 years in prison.

“The attack on the Prairieland Detention Center, almost a year ago to the day, was not only a vicious attack on a building but also an attack on the men and women from our North Texas communities who work there.  The sentences imposed to date for the 15 Antifa cell members were just and deserved,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould for the Northern District of Texas.  “I continue to praise the prompt action of first responders and our law enforcement partners that night, along with the tireless work of the prosecutors in my office who made sure that the Prairieland terrorists were held accountable.  Terrorist acts committed by any individual will not be tolerated.  We will continue to hold others accountable who perpetrate such violence and fund these ANTIFA groups in the Northern District of Texas.”

“The sentences imposed on these defendants emphasize the seriousness of the violent acts committed against our law enforcement partners,” said FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock.  “We would like to thank all the law enforcement agencies that contributed to the outcome of this investigation. Our collective goal remains safeguarding the security of our communities in North Texas.”

“The violent extremists who launched the cowardly, ambush attack on the Prairieland Detention Center nearly one year ago did so in a feeble attempt to inspire chaos and anarchy in our communities, and to undermine the rule of law,” said Homeland Security Investigations Dallas Special Agent in Charge Travis Pickard.  “Instead, the law enforcement community banded together in the aftermath of the attack to conduct a thorough, transparent criminal investigation to hold these domestic terrorists accountable for their actions and to show the American people that the pillars of justice on which our system of government was founded on 250 years ago still stand strong.”

The sentences follow guilty pleas and a 12-day trial that began on Feb. 23, 2026, where jurors heard testimony from 46 witnesses, including cooperating defendants Sikes, Thomas, Baumann, and Sharp.  The last trial defendant, Ines Soto, was the cell head of ANTIFA DFW, which operated under the front: “Emma Goldman Book Club”.   

Testimony and other evidence at trial established that the defendants were members of a North Texas Antifa Cell, part of a larger militant enterprise made up of networks of individuals and small groups primarily ascribing to an ideology that explicitly calls for the overthrow of the United States Government, law enforcement authorities, and the system of law.  An expert testifying in the government’s case told the jury that ANTIFA’s coordinated efforts involve obstructing Federal law through organized riots, violent assaults, and armed confrontations with law enforcement officers, increasingly targeting agents and facilities related to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement in opposition to the agency’s deportation actions.  

Evidence at trial revealed that most of the ANTIFA Cell involved in the Prairieland attack looked to Benjamin Song as a leader.  Song acquired firearms that he distributed to co-defendants and recruited members at gun ranges and combat sessions he conducted, as well as from various ideologically aligned groups.  For example, defendants Ines Soto, Elizabeth Soto, and Savanna Batten were part of a group that created and distributed insurrectionary materials called “zines,” according to trial evidence.

Trial testimony reflected that, late at night on July 4, 2025, at least eleven of the defendants rioted and attacked the Prairieland Detention Center in Alvarado, Texas, which the U.S. Department of Homeland Security was using to house illegal aliens awaiting deportation.  The defendants dressed in “black bloc”—dark clothing with head and face coverings that concealed their identities—designed to hide each individual’s identity but also to aid and abet those members engaged in illegal acts by making members indistinguishable from one another to law enforcement.  Evidence introduced at trial revealed that the defendants brought eleven firearms, body armor, and eleven military-grade first aid kits with tourniquets and other items to treat gunshot wounds to the scene of the attack.  Many of these items were introduced by the government as exhibits.  Additionally, DNA and fingerprint evidence linked many of the defendants to the items at the scene, and evidence obtained on phone locations supported that those who participated in the attack all turned off their phones or placed them in Faraday bags to prevent tracking on the night of the attack.

After ANTIFA Cell members arrived at the detention facility, they began shooting off and throwing fireworks (explosives) at the facility and vandalizing vehicles and a guard shack on Prairieland property:

Witnesses testified that an Alvarado police officer responded to the scene after correctional officers called 911.  When the officer began issuing commands to defendant Nathan Baumann, Benjamin Song can be heard on police bodycam video yelling, “get to the rifles!” and then he opened fire on the officers, striking the Alvarado police officer in the neck as the unarmed correctional officers ducked and ran for cover.  Police arrested most of the Antifa Cell shortly after the attack, many near the scene.  Benjamin Song escaped and remained at large with the help of others until his capture on July 15, 2025.

Trial evidence demonstrated that collectively, this ANTIFA Cell acquired over 50 firearms in the Fort Worth/Dallas area prior to July 4.  During trial, the government introduced numerous chats of the members, who used an encrypted messaging app to coordinate with each other that had auto-delete functions, permanently deleting some Antifa Cell members’ communications.  They also used monikers in group chats to hide their identities, and some of the planning chats included only trusted participants.  The chats introduced at trial revealed that members in this limited group conducted reconnaissance and discussed what to bring to the riot, including firearms, medical kits, and fireworks:
 

Witnesses who testified during the government’s case included the Alvarado police officer who was shot in the neck by Song, detention officers present that night who also took cover from rapid fire, multiple additional responding officers, numerous investigative agents, and cooperating codefendants, including Sikes, Baumann, Sharp, Thomas, and Kent.  Among other things, Kent testified that the night before the attack at a “gear check,” Song proposed to free the detainees at the Prairieland detention facility and told the group that they should wear “black bloc” and bring rifles, because he (Song) wasn’t going to be arrested.  Evidence at trial also revealed that some of the defendants attended a peaceful daytime protest at Prairieland on July 4—without the gear they brought that night—and that they reported back to other defendants details regarding security at the facility:

Ines Soto was sentenced for the following offenses: 

•    Riot, with the intent to commit an act of violence, involving conduct such as shooting and throwing fireworks and explosives, slashing tires on a government vehicle, spraying graffiti on property and vehicles, destroying a closed-circuit camera, shooting at officers, and dressing in black bloc.
•    Providing Material Support to Terrorists, including property, services, training, communications equipment, weapons, explosives, personnel (including themselves), and transportation.
•    Conspiracy to Use and Carry an Explosive, and Using and Carrying an Explosive, during a riot.

Defendants Sikes, Baumann, Sharp, and Thomas were sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Mark T. Pittman for the Northern District of Texas.  When imposing the sentences, Judge Pittman said, “It’s fine to disagree with the government and we have an absolute right to protest, but not to put people in danger.  If this is what is considered a peaceful protest, then I’d hate to see what they’d consider to be not peaceful.  And what is so unique about the Prairieland Detention Center is that it is in the middle of a neighborhood with families and children.  This could have been an absolute slaughter had not the officer’s miracle bullet jammed Song’s rifle.” 

 
Defendants Ines Soto, Gibson, and Morgan were sentenced by Chief U.S. District Court Judge Reed O’ Connor for the Northern District of Texas. When imposing the sentences, Chief Judge O’ Connor said, “The defendants’ violence and terrorism is an assault on Democracy. The defendants’ planning, staging, and execution of the attack led to the attempted murder of an officer who ironically is not even involved in enforcing immigration law.”

The sole count of providing material support to terrorists brought in the information against Baumann, Gibson, Kent, Morgan, Sharp, Thomas, and separately, Sikes’s information, mirrors the material support offense in the charges presented to the jury at trial.  

The final defendant, Susan Kent, is scheduled to be sentenced on July 6, 2026. 

The investigation was conducted by the FBI Dallas Field Office, Homeland Security Investigations Dallas, ATF, the Texas Department of Public Safety, the Alvarado Police Department, and the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Office (ICE ERO).

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Frank Gatto, Shawn Smith, and Matt Capoccia for the Northern District of Texas are prosecuting the case.
 

Thirteen defendants were among those charged in the Northern District of Texas as part of the 2026 National Health Care Fraud Takedown, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould, during a press conference held earlier today.

The charges announced today by U.S. Attorney Raybould are part of a strategically coordinated, nationwide law enforcement action that resulted in charges against 455 defendants, including 90 doctors and other licensed medical professionals, for their alleged participation in health care fraud and opioid abuse schemes involving over $6.5 billion in false claims and significant patient harm, including death. Today’s Takedown represents a new era in federal, state, and international cooperation to combat health care fraud: cases in 56 federal districts and 45 U.S. states and territories, with 50 state Medicaid Fraud Control Units participating, the most in Department history. In addition, unprecedented international cooperation over the two-week Takedown resulted in the apprehension and return to the United States of the following health care fraudsters: one defendant in Kyrenia in connection with an over $3.7 billion scheme; two defendants in Estonia in connection with a previously charged $10.6 billion scheme; and, in the Philippines, one of FBI’s Most Wanted Fraudsters in connection with a previously-charged $1.2 billion telemedicine fraud scheme. The Takedown involves the cutting-edge use of data analytics to target the worst actors; the seizure of over $182 million in cash, luxury vehicles, jewelry, and other assets; and full-spectrum accountability for all criminal actors from doctor’s offices to corporate boardrooms.

Today’s coordinated enforcement action involves a whole-of-government approach, including:

• Actions by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to suspend 1,079 providers and revoke billing privileges for 1,403 providers.
• 48 Civil Monetary Payment settlements amounting to over $73 million, over 1,400 provider exclusions, and 25 actions by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (“HHS-OIG”) under the Civil Monetary Penalties Law seeking more than $10 billion in payments to the Medicare Trust Fund from payments that CMS caught and suspended before the funds were paid to the fraudulent providers.
• Civil charges against 13 defendants for $14.8 million in health care fraud schemes, as well as civil settlements with 31 defendants totaling $23 million.
• 928 administrative cases by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) seeking the revocation of authority to handle and/or prescribe controlled substances since October 1, 2025.

Contributing to the nationwide crackdown, the Northern District of Texas is prosecuting defendants in seven separate cases for crimes that targeted vulnerable patients and exploited taxpayer-funded programs. The Northern District of Texas cases represent collective fraudulent billing of more than $365 million submitted to federally-funded programs and other insurers. The defendants allegedly misappropriated funds intended to serve vulnerable populations—including elderly Medicare beneficiaries and members of the military—to further their own financial interests. The government seized over $35 million in cash, luxury vehicles, and other assets as part of the coordinated enforcement efforts. Those charged include:

• Devin Brodman of Coconut Creek, Florida; 
• Kevin Curry of Frisco, Texas; 
• Olubayo Idowu of DeSoto, Texas, James Lou Carlisle Jr. of Southlake, Texas, and Vaughn Anthony Brozek of Hurst, Texas; 
• Catherine Maduka of Garland, Texas; 
• Jason Charles Mareno of Irving, Texas, David Lee Lloyd of Meridian, Mississippi, Jason Kashou of Coral Springs, Florida, and Duc Ngoc Ly a/k/a Michael Ly of Frisco, Texas; 
• Michael McMillan of Las Vegas, Nevada; and 
• Neel Vivek Paithankar of Irving, Texas. 

“My office is committed to protecting victims and combating fraud against the United States wherever it is found,” United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould said. “Today’s announcement sends a message that no quarter will be given to fraudsters and those who prey on vulnerable members of our community in the Northern District of Texas. It also serves as a reminder that medical professionals who violate the trust society places in them and exploit Americans for personal enrichment will be aggressively pursued and held accountable. My office’s participation in the National Health Care Fraud Takedown reflects our decentralized approach to pursuing fraud across the entirety of the Northern District and highlights the growing partnership we have with Main Justice and the investigating agencies in these efforts to protect victims and the public fisc.”

“Today’s takedown underscores our unwavering commitment to protecting federal health care programs and the patients they serve,” said Special Agent in Charge Jason E. Meadows of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “These individuals didn't just steal taxpayer money; they preyed on vulnerable patients and attacked the very foundation of public trust. Working alongside our partners, HHS-OIG will relentlessly pursue anyone who seeks to defraud federal health care programs and ensure they are brought to justice.”

“The perpetrators of these fraud schemes billed Medicare and Medicaid for services that were either unnecessary or that were never provided to patients, in order to personally profit off of government-sponsored healthcare programs. These programs provide critical care and services to individuals in our communities that need it most,” said FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock. “The FBI and our law enforcement partners will continue to identify and investigate individuals responsible for defrauding government programs, costing taxpayers tens of billions of dollars annually.”

“Today’s takedown sends a clear and unified message: individuals who exploit TRICARE or other federal healthcare programs will face swift and decisive action,” said Special Agent in Charge Chad Gosch of the Department of War Office of Inspector General’s Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS). “Those who siphon resources from our service members, veterans, and vulnerable beneficiaries undermine mission readiness, drive up healthcare costs, and erode public trust. DCIS, in close coordination with our federal partners, will continue to aggressively identify, investigate, and dismantle illegal schemes that target TRICARE and other government healthcare systems for personal gain.”

“Through the tenacious work of our investigators, auditors, and inspectors, the VA OIG plays a vital role in combating healthcare fraud throughout the country,” said Inspector General Cheryl L. Mason, Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General. “Healthcare schemes steal taxpayer dollars and divert critical resources away from veterans. The VA OIG will vigorously investigate anyone who seeks to defraud VA programs.”

“My office has worked tirelessly to expose and end fraud, and has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for the people of Texas. I will continue to work to find and stop fraud to protect Texans’ hard-earned dollars and ensure their tax dollars are not wasted or abused,” said Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.

Those charged in the Northern District of Texas as part of the historic Takedown include:

• Devin Jack Brodman, 32, of Coconut Creek, Florida, was charged by information with conspiracy to defraud the United States and paying and receiving kickbacks in connection with the submission of fraudulent claims by two North Texas labs to Medicare for laboratory testing services, including genetic testing. As alleged in the Information, Brodman, who co-owned Neva Diagnostics and Areahou Diagnostics, billed Medicare for laboratory testing services that were ineligible for reimbursement and were ordered and procured through kickbacks and bribes. He allegedly concealed the submission of the fraudulent claims to Medicare. In total, the two labs billed Medicare approximately $65 million for laboratory testing services and were paid approximately $43 million. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General and Texas Attorney General’s Office – Medicaid Fraud Control Unit investigated the case. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Marty Basu of the Northern District of Texas.
• Kevin Darnell Curry, 63, of Frisco, Texas, was charged by indictment with health care fraud, offer and payment of illegal kickbacks and bribes, and engaging in monetary transactions in criminally derived property in connection with a scheme to defraud TRICARE by fraudulently billing for transcranial magnetic stimulation (“TMS”) treatments that he knew were not provided, not provided as represented, medically unnecessary, induced by the payment of illegal kickbacks and bribes, and/or otherwise ineligible for reimbursement by TRICARE. As alleged in the indictment, Curry, owner and operator of Acuity TMS, submitted and caused the submission of approximately $26,878,282 in false and fraudulent claims to TRICARE, of which approximately $17,075,566 was paid. Assets valued at approximately $200,000 were seized as part of the case, including $136,022 in cash and a 2024 gold Tesla Cybertruck Curry purchased with proceeds from his fraudulent scheme. The Department of War’s Criminal Investigative Service, Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office, Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, and Texas Attorney General’s Office – Medicaid Fraud Control Unit investigated the case. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ethan Womble of the Northern District of Texas and Trial Attorney Yael Mash of the Texas Strike Force.
• Dr. Olubayo Idowu, 75, of Desoto, Texas, Dr. James Lou Carlisle Jr., 53, of Southlake, Texas, and Vaughn Anthony Brozek, 56, of Hurst, Texas, were charged by superseding indictment with conspiracy to commit health care fraud in connection with a scheme to defraud Medicare and other health care benefit programs through the submission of more than $25 million in false and fraudulent medical claims for electroencephalography (“EEG”) testing. As alleged in the superseding indictment, Idowu and Carlisle, both physicians, and Brozek, a nurse practitioner, conspired to unlawfully enrich themselves from 2020 until at least 2023 by accepting kickbacks and bribes for patient EEG testing that was medically unnecessary. The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, Texas Attorney General’s Office – Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, and Department of War’s Defense Criminal Investigative Service investigated the case. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Douglas B. Brasher of the Northern District of Texas.
• Catherine Nkeiru Maduka, 66, of Garland, Texas, was charged by indictment with conspiracy to commit health care fraud and health care fraud in connection with a hospice scheme, which resulted in over $3.1 million in false claims being submitted to Medicare. As alleged in the indictment, Maduka, the owner and CEO of Saint Catherine’s Hospice, recruited patients who were ineligible for hospice care and billed Medicare for services that were never provided. The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, and Texas Attorney General’s Office – Medicaid Fraud Control Unit investigated the case. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Douglas B. Brasher of the Northern District of Texas.

• Jason Charles Mareno, 52, of Irving, Texas, David Lee Lloyd, 56, of Meridian, Mississippi, Jason Kashou, 40, of Coral Springs, Florida, and Duc Ngoc Ly, a/k/a Michael Ly, 52, of Frisco, Texas, were charged by superseding indictment with conspiracy to violate the Federal Anti-Kickback Statute in connection with a scheme to bill Medicare for COVID-19 test kits. As alleged in the superseding indictment, the defendants provided Medicare beneficiary information to two coconspirators who own lab businesses, who in turn used that information to bill Medicare for COVID-19 test kits they sent to the beneficiaries who had not requested them and in some cases to beneficiaries who were deceased.  The lab owners then kicked back a portion of the Medicare reimbursement to the defendants in cash and through a series of financial transactions designed to conceal the kickbacks. As a result of the scheme, the defendant and their coconspirators caused more than $73 million in fraudulent claims to be submitted to Medicare for COVID-19 test kits.  The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, and the Department of War’s Defense Criminal Investigative Service investigated the case. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Douglas B. Brasher of the Northern District of Texas.

• Michael McMillan, 55, of Las Vegas, Nevada, was charged by indictment with health care fraud, offer and payment of illegal kickbacks and bribes, and engaging in monetary transactions in criminally derived property in connection with the submission of approximately $268 million in false and fraudulent claims to Medicare and other government healthcare benefit programs related to wound care products. As alleged in the indictment, McMillan, the owner of Protectus LLC and related entities, offered various skin substitute products to physicians and medical providers under an illegal kickback arrangement that guaranteed that medical providers profited thousands of dollars for every skin substitute claim the providers billed the government programs. Disguising the kickbacks as rebates or discounts, McMillan and Protectus received approximately $174 million. Assets valued at approximately $35 million were seized as part of the case. The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, Department of War’s Defense Criminal Investigative Service, and Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General investigated the case. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Marty Basu and Chad Meacham of the Northern District of Texas.

• Neel Vivek Paithankar, 25, of Irving, Texas, was charged by indictment with conspiracy to commit health care fraud and health care fraud in connection with a scheme to submit approximately $2.3 million of false and fraudulent claims to Medicare for medically unnecessary durable medical equipment (“DME”). As alleged in the indictment, Paithankar, owner of VMP Health Care LLC, facilitated the solicitation of Medicare beneficiaries through telemarketers posing as Medicare representatives offering free DME. He then shipped the DME to Medicare beneficiaries who either did not need and/or did not want the products. In total, VMP Health Care LLC submitted approximately 3,700 false claims to Medicare, for which Medicare paid $1.2 million. The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General investigated the case. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Elise Aldendifer of the Northern District of Texas.

Descriptions of each case involved in today’s enforcement action are available on the Department’s website here.

An information or indictment is merely an allegation of criminal conduct, not evidence. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Leader of Antifa Cell Members in North Texas Sentenced to 100 Years in Prison for Terrorist Attack on ICE Facility

Seven Additional Defendants Also Sentenced Before One-Year Anniversary of Attack to a Combined 450 Years in Prison

Today, before the one-year anniversary of their attack, eight North Texas Antifa Cell operatives were sentenced for their roles in rioting, using weapons and explosives, providing material support to terrorists, obstruction, and the attempted murder of an Alvarado police officer at the Prairieland Detention Center on July 4, 2025, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould.  

This is the first sentencing of defendants affiliated with Antifa following President Donald J. Trump’s executive order designating the group as a Domestic Terrorist Organization in September 2025.

Benjamin Hanil Song, who was convicted of the attempted murder of a law enforcement officer, was sentenced to 100 years in prison.  Together, the Prairieland terrorists received a combined sentence of 450 years in prison: 

• Maricela Rueda was sentenced to 70 years in prison;
• Cameron Arnold was sentenced to 50 years in prison;
• Savanna Batten was sentenced to 50 years in prison;
• Zachary Evetts was sentenced to 50 years in prison;
• Bradford Morris was sentenced to 50 years in prison;
• Elizabeth Soto was sentenced to 50 years in prison; and
• Daniel Rolando Sanchez-Estrada was sentenced to 30 years in prison.

“The sentences handed down today make clear that Antifa terrorists who attack law enforcement and federal facilities will face swift and uncompromising justice,” said Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. “Their violent extremism has no place in our country, and the Department of Justice will continue to aggressively investigate, disrupt, and prosecute those who threaten law enforcement officers or undermine the rule of law.”

“These sentences justly punish the vicious, armed attack that these Antifa cell members planned and executed against law enforcement and detention center officers on the night of July 4th last year,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould for the Northern District of Texas. “Their terrorist acts, attempted murder, vandalism, and explosives launched at a detention facility were a far cry from a peaceful protest or First Amendment expression.  Because of the prompt action of first responders that night and tenacious work of our law enforcement partners, in tandem with the prosecutors in my office, eight people have been rightly punished for these violent acts and their attempts to conceal them.  We will continue in this mission to hold others accountable who perpetrate such violence and fund these ANTIFA groups in the Northern District of Texas.”

“Today’s sentencings show the FBI remains committed to identifying, locating, and dismantling Antifa and its funding networks across the country,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “Acts of violence against our law enforcement partners will not be tolerated, and we continue our work to protect communities across the country from domestic terrorism.”

“The sentences handed down today send an unmistakable message: Attacks on federal officers and facilities will not be tolerated.  The men and women of ICE serve with integrity and courage, often in challenging and dangerous environments.  The calculated violence carried out by these Antifa cell members at Prairieland was an assault on law enforcement and an attack on the rule of law itself,” said Acting ICE Director David J. Venturella. “Nearly one year after this cowardly act, justice has prevailed.  ICE will continue to stand firm against those who threaten our officers, our facilities and our mission.”

The sentences follow a 12-day trial that began on Feb. 23, where jurors heard testimony from 46 witnesses and considered over 210 exhibits supporting the charges against nine indicted defendants: Cameron Arnold, also known as Autumn Hill; Zachary Evetts; Benjamin Song; Savanna Batten; Bradford Morris, also known as Meagan Morris; Maricela Rueda; Elizabeth Soto; Ines Soto; and Daniel Rolando Sanchez-Estrada.  All were convicted. Ines Soto was granted a continuance and will be sentenced on July 1.

Seven others, Seth Sikes, Nathan Baumann, Joy Gibson, Susan Kent, Rebecca Morgan, Lynette Sharp, and John Thomas, pleaded guilty prior to trial to one count of providing material support to terrorists and they will be sentenced on July 1.  

Testimony and other evidence at trial established that the defendants were members of a North Texas Antifa Cell, part of a larger militant enterprise made up of networks of individuals and small groups primarily ascribing to an ideology that explicitly calls for the overthrow of the United States Government, law enforcement authorities, and the system of law. An expert testifying in the government’s case told the jury that ANTIFA’s coordinated efforts involve obstructing Federal law through organized riots, violent assaults, and armed confrontations with law enforcement officers, increasingly targeting agents and facilities related to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement in opposition to the agency’s deportation actions.  

Evidence at trial revealed that most of the ANTIFA Cell involved in the Prairieland attack looked to Benjamin Song as a leader.  Song acquired firearms that he distributed to co-defendants and recruited members at gun ranges and combat sessions he conducted, as well as from various ideologically aligned groups. For example, defendants Ines Soto, Elizabeth Soto, and Savanna Batten were part of a group that created and distributed insurrectionary materials called “zines,” according to trial evidence.

Trial testimony reflected that, late at night on July 4, 2025, at least eleven of the defendants rioted and attacked the Prairieland Detention Center in Alvarado, Texas, which the U.S. Department of Homeland Security was using to house illegal aliens awaiting deportation.  The defendants dressed in “black bloc”—dark clothing with head and face coverings that concealed their identities—designed to hide each individual’s identity but also to aid and abet those members engaged in illegal acts by making members indistinguishable from one another to law enforcement.  Evidence introduced at trial revealed that the defendants brought eleven firearms, body armor, and eleven military-grade first aid kits with tourniquets and other items to treat gunshot wounds to the scene of the attack.  Many of these items were introduced by the government as exhibits.  Additionally, DNA and fingerprint evidence linked many of the defendants to the items at the scene, and evidence obtained on phone locations supported that those who participated in the attack all turned off their phones or placed them in Faraday bags to prevent tracking on the night of the attack.

After ANTIFA Cell members arrived at the detention facility, they began shooting off and throwing fireworks (explosives) at the facility and vandalizing vehicles and a guard shack on Prairieland property:

Witnesses testified that an Alvarado police officer responded to the scene after correctional officers called 911.  When the officer began issuing commands to defendant Nathan Baumann, Benjamin Song can be heard on police bodycam video yelling, “get to the rifles!” and then he opened fire on the officers, striking the Alvarado police officer in the neck as the unarmed correctional officers ducked and ran for cover.  Police arrested most of the Antifa Cell shortly after the attack, many near the scene.  Benjamin Song escaped and remained at large with the help of others until his capture on July 15, 2025.

Trial evidence demonstrated that collectively, this ANTIFA Cell acquired over 50 firearms in the Fort Worth/Dallas area prior to July 4.  During trial, the government introduced numerous chats of the members, who used an encrypted messaging app to coordinate with each other that had auto-delete functions, permanently deleting some Antifa Cell members’ communications.  They also used monikers in group chats to hide their identities, and some of the planning chats included only trusted participants.  The chats introduced at trial revealed that members in this limited group conducted reconnaissance and discussed what to bring to the riot, including firearms, medical kits, and fireworks:
 

Witnesses who testified during the government’s case included the Alvarado police officer who was shot in the neck by Song, detention officers present that night who also took cover from rapid fire, multiple additional responding officers, numerous investigative agents, and cooperating codefendants, including Baumann, Sharp, Thomas, and Kent.  Among other things, Kent testified that the night before the attack at a “gear check,” Song proposed to free the detainees at the Prairieland detention facility and told the group that they should wear “black bloc” and bring rifles, because he (Song) wasn’t going to be arrested.  Evidence at trial also revealed that some of the defendants attended a peaceful daytime protest at Prairieland on July 4—without the gear they brought that night—and that they reported back to other defendants details regarding security at the facility:

The sentences of the eight defendants were for the following offenses: 

• Riot, with the intent to commit an act of violence, involving conduct such as shooting and throwing fireworks and explosives, slashing tires on a government vehicle, spraying graffiti on property and vehicles, destroying a closed-circuit camera, shooting at officers, and dressing in black bloc.
  • Defendants convicted: Cameron Arnold, Zachary Evetts, Benjamin Song, Savanna Batten, Bradford Morris, Maricela Rueda, Elizabeth Soto, and Ines Soto 
• Providing Material Support to Terrorists, including property, services, training, communications equipment, weapons, explosives, personnel (including themselves), and transportation.
  • Defendants convicted: Arnold, Evetts, Song, Batten, Morris, Rueda, E. Soto, and I. Soto
• Conspiracy to Use and Carry an Explosive, and Using and Carrying an Explosive, during a riot.
  • Defendants convicted: Arnold, Evetts, Song, Batten, Morris, Rueda, E. Soto, and I. Soto
• Attempted Murder of Officers and Employees of the United States, involving the unlawful attempt to kill with malice aforethought an Alvarado Police Officer who was assisting federal officers/agents.
  • Defendant convicted:  Song
• Discharging a Firearm During, and in Relation to, and in Furtherance of a Crime of Violence, i.e., the attempted murder of two correctional officers and an Alvarado Police Officer.
  • Defendant convicted:  Song
• Corruptly Concealing a Document or Record, by transporting a box containing numerous Antifa materials, such as insurrection planning, anti-law enforcement, anti-government, and anti-immigration enforcement documents and propaganda from Sanchez Estrada’s residence to a location in Denton, Texas, intending to conceal the box’s contents and impair its availability for use in a federal grand jury and federal criminal proceeding.
  • Defendant convicted: Daniel Rolando Sanchez Estrada
• Conspiracy to Conceal Documents and other objects that would implicate Maricela Rueda in the riot and shooting at the Prairieland facility.
  • Defendants convicted: Sanchez Estrada and Maricela Rueda

Defendants Song, Morris, Rueda, and E. Soto were sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Mark T. Pittman for the Northern District of Texas. When imposing the sentences, Judge Pittman said, “It’s by the grace of God that Song is not dead. He managed to get 11 shots in seconds; then the officer shooting blindly happened to hit the magazine well of Song’s rifle. Mr. Song’s lucky he isn’t dead. We had a guardian angel that ensured that Mr. Song isn’t dead, and we don’t have several deceased people at Prairieland.” 

Defendants Arnold, Evetts, Batten, and Sanchez-Estrada were sentenced by Chief U.S. District Court Judge Reed O’ Connor for the Northern District of Texas. When imposing the sentences, Chief Judge O’ Connor said, “The defendants’ violence and terrorism is an assault on Democracy. The defendants’ planning, staging, and execution of the attack led to the attempted murder of an officer who ironically is not even involved in enforcing immigration law.”

  
The sole count of providing material support to terrorists brought in the information against Baumann, Gibson, Kent, Morgan, Sharp, Thomas, and separately, Sikes’s information, mirrors the material support offense in the charges presented to the jury at trial.  Each of these defendants face a sentence of up to fifteen years in federal prison and will be sentenced on July 1, 2026.  

The investigation was conducted by the FBI Dallas Field Office, Homeland Security Investigations Dallas, ATF, the Texas Department of Public Safety, the Alvarado Police Department, and the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Office (ICE ERO).
 

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Frank Gatto, Shawn Smith, and Matt Capoccia for the Northern District of Texas are prosecuting the case.

Today, the Justice Department announced that eight North Texas Antifa Cell operatives were sentenced for their roles in rioting, using weapons and explosives, providing material support to terrorists, obstruction, and the attempted murder of an Alvarado police officer at the Prairieland Detention Center on July 4, 2025. This is the first sentencing of defendants affiliated with Antifa following President Donald J. Trump’s executive order designating the group as a Domestic Terrorist Organization in September 2025.

Benjamin Hanil Song, who was convicted of the attempted murder of a law enforcement officer, was sentenced to 100 years in prison. Together, the Prairieland terrorists received a combined sentence of 450 years in prison: 

• Maricela Rueda was sentenced to 70 years in prison;
• Cameron Arnold was sentenced to 50 years in prison;
• Savanna Batten was sentenced to 50 years in prison;
• Zachary Evetts was sentenced to 50 years in prison;
• Bradford Morris was sentenced to 50 years in prison;
• Elizabeth Soto was sentenced to 50 years in prison; and
• Daniel Rolando Sanchez-Estrada was sentenced to 30 years in prison.

“The sentences handed down today make clear that Antifa terrorists who attack law enforcement and federal facilities will face swift and uncompromising justice,” said Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. “Their violent extremism has no place in our country, and the Department of Justice will continue to aggressively investigate, disrupt, and prosecute those who threaten law enforcement officers or undermine the rule of law.”

“Today’s sentencings show the FBI remains committed to identifying, locating, and dismantling Antifa and its funding networks across the country,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “Acts of violence against our law enforcement partners will not be tolerated, and we continue our work to protect communities across the country from domestic terrorism.”

“These sentences justly punish the vicious, armed attack that these Antifa cell members planned and executed against law enforcement and detention center officers on the night of July 4th last year,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould for the Northern District of Texas. “Their terrorist acts, attempted murder, vandalism, and explosives launched at a detention facility were a far cry from a peaceful protest or First Amendment expression.  Because of the prompt action of first responders that night and tenacious work of our law enforcement partners, in tandem with the prosecutors in my office, eight people have been rightly punished for these violent acts and their attempts to conceal them.  We will continue in this mission to hold others accountable who perpetrate such violence and fund these ANTIFA groups in the Northern District of Texas.”

“The sentences handed down today send an unmistakable message: Attacks on federal officers and facilities will not be tolerated. The men and women of ICE serve with integrity and courage, often in challenging and dangerous environments. The calculated violence carried out by these Antifa cell members at Prairieland was an assault on law enforcement and an attack on the rule of law itself,” said Acting ICE Director David J. Venturella. “Nearly one year after this cowardly act, justice has prevailed. ICE will continue to stand firm against those who threaten our officers, our facilities and our mission.”

The sentences follow a 12-day trial that began on Feb. 23, where jurors heard testimony from 46 witnesses and considered over 210 exhibits supporting the charges against nine indicted defendants: Cameron Arnold, also known as Autumn Hill; Zachary Evetts; Benjamin Song; Savanna Batten; Bradford Morris, also known as Meagan Morris; Maricela Rueda; Elizabeth Soto; Ines Soto; and Daniel Rolando Sanchez-Estrada. All were convicted. Ines Soto was granted a continuance and will be sentenced on July 1.

Seven others, Seth Sikes, Nathan Baumann, Joy Gibson, Susan Kent, Rebecca Morgan, Lynette Sharp, and John Thomas, pleaded guilty prior to trial to one count of providing material support to terrorists and they will be sentenced on July 1. 

Testimony and other evidence at trial established that the defendants were members of a North Texas Antifa Cell, part of a larger militant enterprise made up of networks of individuals and small groups primarily ascribing to an ideology that explicitly calls for the overthrow of the United States Government, law enforcement authorities, and the system of law. An expert testifying in the government’s case told the jury that ANTIFA’s coordinated efforts involve obstructing Federal law through organized riots, violent assaults, and armed confrontations with law enforcement officers, increasingly targeting agents and facilities related to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement in opposition to the agency’s deportation actions.  

Evidence at trial revealed that most of the ANTIFA Cell involved in the Prairieland attack looked to Benjamin Song as a leader. Song acquired firearms that he distributed to co-defendants and recruited members at gun ranges and combat sessions he conducted, as well as from various ideologically aligned groups. For example, defendants Ines Soto, Elizabeth Soto, and Savanna Batten were part of a group that created and distributed insurrectionary materials called “zines,” according to trial evidence.

Trial testimony reflected that, late at night on July 4, 2025, at least eleven of the defendants rioted and attacked the Prairieland Detention Center in Alvarado, Texas, which the U.S. Department of Homeland Security was using to house illegal aliens awaiting deportation.  The defendants dressed in “black bloc”—dark clothing with head and face coverings that concealed their identities—designed to hide each individual’s identity but also to aid and abet those members engaged in illegal acts by making members indistinguishable from one another to law enforcement.  Evidence introduced at trial revealed that the defendants brought eleven firearms, body armor, and eleven military-grade first aid kits with tourniquets and other items to treat gunshot wounds to the scene of the attack.  Many of these items were introduced by the government as exhibits.  Additionally, DNA and fingerprint evidence linked many of the defendants to the items at the scene, and evidence obtained on phone locations supported that those who participated in the attack all turned off their phones or placed them in Faraday bags to prevent tracking on the night of the attack.

After ANTIFA Cell members arrived at the detention facility, they began shooting off and throwing fireworks (explosives) at the facility and vandalizing vehicles and a guard shack on Prairieland property:

Witnesses testified that an Alvarado police officer responded to the scene after correctional officers called 911.  When the officer began issuing commands to defendant Nathan Baumann, Benjamin Song can be heard on police bodycam video yelling, “get to the rifles!” and then he opened fire on the officers, striking the Alvarado police officer in the neck as the unarmed correctional officers ducked and ran for cover.  Police arrested most of the Antifa Cell shortly after the attack, many near the scene.  Benjamin Song escaped and remained at large with the help of others until his capture on July 15, 2025.

Trial evidence demonstrated that collectively, this ANTIFA Cell acquired over 50 firearms in the Fort Worth/Dallas area prior to July 4.  During trial, the government introduced numerous chats of the members, who used an encrypted messaging app to coordinate with each other that had auto-delete functions, permanently deleting some Antifa Cell members’ communications.  They also used monikers in group chats to hide their identities, and some of the planning chats included only trusted participants.  The chats introduced at trial revealed that members in this limited group conducted reconnaissance and discussed what to bring to the riot, including firearms, medical kits, and fireworks:

Witnesses who testified during the government’s case included the Alvarado police officer who was shot in the neck by Song, detention officers present that night who also took cover from rapid fire, multiple additional responding officers, numerous investigative agents, and cooperating codefendants, including Baumann, Sharp, Thomas, and Kent.  Among other things, Kent testified that the night before the attack at a “gear check,” Song proposed to free the detainees at the Prairieland detention facility and told the group that they should wear “black bloc” and bring rifles, because he (Song) wasn’t going to be arrested.  Evidence at trial also revealed that some of the defendants attended a peaceful daytime protest at Prairieland on July 4—without the gear they brought that night—and that they reported back to other defendants details regarding security at the facility:

The sentences of the eight defendants were for the following offenses: 

• Riot, with the intent to commit an act of violence, involving conduct such as shooting and throwing fireworks and explosives, slashing tires on a government vehicle, spraying graffiti on property and vehicles, destroying a closed circuit camera, shooting at officers, and dressing in black bloc.
  • Defendants convicted: Cameron Arnold, Zachary Evetts, Benjamin Song, Savanna Batten, Bradford Morris, Maricela Rueda, Elizabeth Soto, and Ines Soto 
• Providing Material Support to Terrorists, including property, services, training, communications equipment, weapons, explosives, personnel (including themselves), and transportation.
  • Defendants convicted: Arnold, Evetts, Song, Batten, Morris, Rueda, E. Soto, and I. Soto
• Conspiracy to Use and Carry an Explosive, and Using and Carrying an Explosive, during a riot.
  • Defendants convicted: Arnold, Evetts, Song, Batten, Morris, Rueda, E. Soto, and I. Soto
• Attempted Murder of Officers and Employees of the United States, involving the unlawful attempt to kill with malice aforethought an Alvarado Police Officer who was assisting federal officers/agents.
  • Defendant convicted:  Song
• Discharging a Firearm During, and in Relation to, and in Furtherance of a Crime of Violence, i.e., the attempted murder of two correctional officers and an Alvarado Police Officer.
  • Defendant convicted:  Song
• Corruptly Concealing a Document or Record, by transporting a box containing numerous Antifa materials, such as insurrection planning, anti-law enforcement, anti-government, and anti-immigration enforcement documents and propaganda from Sanchez Estrada’s residence to a location in Denton, Texas, intending to conceal the box’s contents and impair its availability for use in a federal grand jury and federal criminal proceeding.
  • Defendant convicted: Daniel Rolando Sanchez Estrada
• Conspiracy to Conceal Documents and other objects that would implicate Maricela Rueda in the riot and shooting at the Prairieland facility.
  • Defendants convicted: Sanchez Estrada and Maricela Rueda

Defendants Song, Morris, Rueda, and E. Soto were sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Mark T. Pittman for the Northern District of Texas. When imposing the sentences, Judge Pittman said, “It’s by the grace of God that Song is not dead. He managed to get 11 shots in seconds; then the officer shooting blindly happened to hit the magazine well of Song’s rifle. Mr. Song’s lucky he isn’t dead. We had a guardian angel that ensured that Mr. Song isn’t dead, and we don’t have several deceased people at Prairieland.” 

Defendants Arnold, Evetts, Batten, and Sanchez-Estrada were sentenced by Chief U.S. District Court Judge Reed O’ Connor for the Northern District of Texas. When imposing the sentences, Chief Judge O’ Connor said, “The defendants’ violence and terrorism is an assault on Democracy. The defendants’ planning, staging, and execution of the attack led to the attempted murder of an officer who ironically is not even involved in enforcing immigration law.” 

The sole count of providing material support to terrorists brought in the information against Baumann, Gibson, Kent, Morgan, Sharp, Thomas, and separately, Sikes’s information, mirrors the material support offense in the charges presented to the jury at trial.  Each of these defendants face a sentence of up to fifteen years in federal prison and will be sentenced on July 1, 2026. 

The investigation was conducted by the FBI Dallas Field Office, Homeland Security Investigations Dallas, ATF, the Texas Department of Public Safety, the Alvarado Police Department, and the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Office (ICE ERO).

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Frank Gatto, Shawn Smith, and Matt Capoccia for the Northern District of Texas are prosecuting the case.

A Dallas man was convicted today of distributing fentanyl, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould.

Following a three-day trial and roughly five hours of deliberation, the jury convicted Joshua Burton, 30, on Friday, June 18, 2026, of conspiring with others to distribute fentanyl and personally distributing fentanyl in Northern District of Texas.

“This verdict should send a clear message to drug dealers that we will dismantle any effort to peddle deadly fentanyl in our community,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould. “I want to thank our law enforcement partners for their dedicated collaboration in taking thousands of fentanyl pills off the streets of Dallas”

According to evidence presented at trial, law enforcement seized approximately 17,000 fentanyl pills from Burton in a single week. Evidence also showed Burton had been distributing fentanyl for approximately three years, and his phone showed a history of narcotics distribution in the area.

Burton is set for sentencing on October 7, 2026, before United States District Judge Ed Kinkeade, who presided over the trial. Burton faces up to life in federal prison.

The Texas Department of Public Safety, Drug Enforcement Administration, and Garland Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Abby Policastro and Marissa Aulbaugh are prosecuted the case.
 

A Honduran national was charged on June 15, 2026, by criminal complaint with piloting an unregistered drone in violation of federal law, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould.

Luis Mauricio Flores Ordonez, 33, was charged via criminal complaint with Owning an Unregistered Aircraft that was Operated, Attempted to be Operated, or Allowed to be Operated by Another Person in violation of 49 U.S.C. § 46306(b)(5)(A).

He made his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeffrey L. Cureton, who ordered that Flores Ordonez be detained pending further proceedings.

“I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, if you operate a drone over restricted airspace - including over Dallas Stadium or Fan Fest - you can expect a federal indictment to come your way like this defendant,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould.  “The World Cup has been a blessing for North Texas and it’s imperative that we remain vigilant in protecting the fans and our great citizens of North Texas from potentially dangerous drones.”

“It is the drone operator’s responsibility to understand where Temporary Flight Restrictions exist,” said FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock. “Before you fly a drone, I strongly encourage you to check for active flight restrictions using an FAA-approved B4UFLY service provider.”

According to the complaint, Flores Ordonez allegedly flew his unregistered drone, a DJI Mini 3 PRO, in the flight-restricted airspace around Dallas Stadium (also known as AT&T Stadium) while a Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) was in effect. To legally operate his drone within the flight-restricted airspace, Flores Ordonez must have had his drone registered with the Federal Aviation Administration and have been a Part 107-licensed pilot with a current certificate or have a Certificate of Waiver or Authorization, among other requirements. Interception of Flores Ordonez’s drone operation was part of the FBI’s drone counter-surveillance efforts for the FIFA World Cup match at Dallas Stadium that same afternoon.

So far, during the two FIFA World Cup games held in Arlington, over 20 drones have been seized.  The Federal Bureau of Investigation would like to once again state that there is a “no-fly zone” around the Dallas Stadium for three hours prior to each match and three hours after each match.  It is a federal crime to fly a drone into a “no-fly zone.”  

If convicted of this offense, Flores Ordonez faces up to three years in federal prison.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation – Dallas Field Division, Federal Air Marshal, Customs and Border Patrol, Arlington Police Department, Texas Parks and Wildlife, and Texas Department of Public Safety conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric B. Chen is prosecuting the case.

A criminal complaint is merely an allegation of criminal conduct, not evidence. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. 

A Hunt County man was sentenced to federal prison for lying to the FBI, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould.

Carey Todd Edwards, 65, was sentenced to 21 months in federal prison on June 11, 2026, by Senior United States District Judge Jane J. Boyle, for making a false statement to the FBI.

According to court documents, FBI agents interviewed Edwards outside his Quinlan, Texas home on July 26, 2023, after receiving information about his online activity. During that interview, Edwards admitted he was a convicted felon and acknowledged possessing a shotgun and a pistol inside his residence. When agents returned the next day with a federal search warrant, the firearms were gone. In a follow up interview on July 27, Edwards denied ever having guns, telling agents, “I don’t have any.  I never had any guns.” He later admitted the statement was false and that he had removed the firearms from his home before agents executed the warrant. 

During the sentencing hearing, the Court noted that Edwards operated a website espousing anti Semitic beliefs, affiliated closely with another anti-Semitic website, and supported the separation of races. The Court also observed that Edwards’s online activity, combined with his criminal record and firearms ownership, could have been perceived as threatening toward the Jewish community in the Northern District of Texas. Judge Boyle ultimately concluded that Edwards’ false statements were intended to obstruct the FBI’s investigation to determine whether he had illegally possessed firearms as a convicted felon.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward L. Hocter prosecuted the case.
 

A Brownfield man was sentenced to 50 years in federal prison for sexually exploiting two children, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould.

Pedro Marcos Hinojosa, 40, was sentenced to 600 months in federal prison on June 10, 2026, by United States District Judge James Wesley Hendrix for producing child pornography and possession of child pornography involving a prepubescent minor.  The Court also ordered Hinojosa to pay $3,466 in restitution.

According to court documents, in September 2025, a woman reported to the Brownfield Police Department that she observed nude photographs of a 9-year-old female child on Hinojosa’s cell phone.  The child was forensically interviewed and said Hinojosa had sexually abused her and had taken sexually explicit photographs of her on multiple occasions since she was 8 years old.  On September 12, 2025, law enforcement located Hinojosa living at a homeless shelter in Lubbock.  He attempted to flee but was ultimately taken into custody.  Hinojosa admitted he had produced child sexual abuse material of the child.  A search was conducted of Hinojosa’s cell phone and law enforcement located videos and photographs of child sexual abuse material of his victim. 

At sentencing, it was revealed that there was another victim whom Hinojosa had sexually abused and photographed when she was 8 years old, over a decade ago.  That victim reported the abuse to law enforcement for the first time after she saw news of Hinojosa’s arrest.  The Court, in sentencing Hinojosa to the statutory maximum, recognized the need to give Hinojosa a sentence that incapacitated him from ever being able to harm another child.

“My office is committed to seeking out those who harm our children and making sure they are held accountable for their horrendous acts,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould.  “We hope Hinojosa’s lengthy sentence gives the victims and their families some peace, but that it also serves as a warning to like-minded predators that justice will be swift and the punishment will be exacting for these types of despicable crimes.”

“This 50-year sentence demonstrates our commitment to hold offenders accountable for committing crimes against children,” said FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock.  “The FBI and our law enforcement partners will continue to work together to protect the most vulnerable members of our communities.”

The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Dallas Field Office (Lubbock Resident Agency), the Texas Rangers, the Texas Department of Public Safety, and the Brownfield Police Department conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Callie Woolam prosecuted the case with the assistance of the Terry County District Attorney’s Office.

The Justice Department is committed to combating child sexual exploitation and brought this case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc.

The Department partners with and oversees funding grants for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), which receives and shares tips about possible child sexual exploitation received through its 24/7 hotline at 1-800-THE-LOST and on missingkids.org.  

The Department urges the public to remain vigilant and report suspected exploitation of a child through the FBI’s tip line at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324), tips.fbi.gov, or by calling your local FBI field office.

A Dallas man who trafficked nine young women was sentenced today to 30 years in federal prison, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould.

Chase Anthony Young, 34, pled guilty to federal charges of sex trafficking through force, fraud, or coercion in October 2025. He was sentenced today to 30 years in federal prison by Senior U.S. District Judge David C. Godbey.

According to plea documents, Young admitted to causing three adult victims to engage in commercial sex by force, threats of force, fraud, or coercion. Young admitted to placing online ads for the victims, renting hotel rooms, taking the proceeds from the commercial sex acts performed by the victims, and setting pricing and rules for the victims.

At today’s sentencing, the prosecutor asked the Court to consider that Young had a total of nine identified victims of his sex trafficking organization, dating back to at least 2017.  And that while Young received all the proceeds, the victims’ received beatings and scars.

Additionally, one victim’s statement was read, in part, to the Court, during the sentencing hearing.  She wrote that Young made her “believe that [she] worthless and only existed to be used;” and that, “The trauma has affected every part of my life, my ability to trust, to build relationships, to feel safe, and believe in myself.”  Her statement continued, “But despite everything, I am here. I am learning to heal and find myself again.”  “I am speaking now because he no longer has control over my voice, I will never be silenced EVER AGAIN.”

The investigation was conducted by Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandie Wade prosecuted the case.

This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (“HSTF”) 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 United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting, the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, 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.  HSTF Dallas comprises agents and officers from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS), Kaufman County Sheriff’s Office (KCSO), and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).  
 

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas and FBI Dallas are jointly promoting the importance of drone safety and flight restrictions.

The information below is intended to raise awareness among the public at large, help to ensure the safety of fans, and also serve as a deterrence.

During the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has imposed a Temporary Flight Restriction over multiple locations in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex.  These temporary flight restrictions temporarily restrict all aircraft – airplanes, helicopters, and unmanned aircraft systems (UAS, more commonly known as “drones”) – from flying over a specific geographic area.

On each match day, a temporary flight restriction will be in effect over AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. AT&T Stadium will be known as “Dallas Stadium” during the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The flight restriction will span a 3-nautical-mile radius from AT&T Stadium, up to 3,000 feet, and will take effect 3 hours before the start of each match and will conclude 3 hours after the end of each match.

During the FIFA Fan Festival, taking place from June 11, 2026, through July 19, 2026, a temporary flight restriction will be in place over Fair Park in Dallas, Texas, for each day of the Fan Festival. The flight restriction will span a 1-nautical-mile radius from the Dos Equis Pavilion in Fair Park, up to 1,000 feet, and will be in effect 1 hour before the start of the festival each day and 1 hour after the festival concludes each day.

While these temporary flight restrictions are in place, the flying of any drone or other aircraft or UAS will be forbidden unless prior approval is obtained from the FAA. Violators will be subject to federal prosecution, imprisonment, fines, and/or forfeiture of their drone or UAS.

To avoid committing criminal federal violations, all drone pilots are reminded and warned of their responsibility to:

1.    Register and label your drone and obtain a Part 107 pilot’s license from the FAA before operating your drone in any flight-restricted airspace; 2.    Register and label your drone and obtain a Part 107 pilot’s license before operating your drone in any capacity other than as a FAA-designated recreational pilot (including when flying for commercial purposes or for footage that may be monetized); 3.    Obtain a TRUST certificate from the FAA to be carried with you at all times that you are piloting your drone for recreational purposes only; and
4.    Familiarize yourself with airspace classifications and restrictions (including temporary flight restrictions and Notices to Airmen or “NOTAMs”) before piloting your drone for any purpose to avoid flying in any flight-restricted airspace, or, if necessary, to seek permission and approval before flying in any flight-restricted airspace.

As part of ongoing drone enforcement, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas has prosecuted numerous individuals for illegally flying unmanned aircraft systems (drones) in restricted areas, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould.

The cases are as follows:

•    David Flores, 3:25-CR-329-B, pled guilty to one felony count of Operation of an Unregistered Drone and was sentenced to time served (a period of about five months’ imprisonment);

•    David Fowler, 3:25-CR-231-L, pled guilty to one felony count of Operation of an Unregistered Drone, set for sentencing on June 23, 2026;

•    Melvin Mitchell III, 4:26-CR-162-O, charged via indictment with one felony count of Operating as an Airman Without an Airman’s Certificate, case is currently pending;

•    Ernesto Villanueva Gonzalez, 4:25-CR-149-BJ – pled guilty to one count of Violation of National Defense Airspace and sentenced to time served (approximately two months’ imprisonment) and a monetary fine;

•    Jason Carvell Banner, 4:24-CR-159-BJ, pled guilty to one count of Violation of National Defense Airspace for flying a drone over the Texas Rangers Ballpark, sentenced to 25 months’ probation and a monetary fine;

•    Scott Lorenzen, 3:24-CR-502-BK, pled guilty to one count of Violation of National Defense Airspace and sentenced to six months’ probation;

•    Shawn Yang, 4:26-CR-42-BJ, pled guilty to one count of Violation of National Defense Airspace and ordered to pay a monetary fine;

•    Vincent Paolella, 4:26-CR-148-BJ, charged via criminal information with one count of Violation of National Defense Airspace, case is currently pending; and

•    Jasson Longoria, 4:26-CR-149-BJ, charged via criminal information with one count of Violation of National Defense Airspace, case is currently pending.

“We want the 2026 FIFA World Cup fans to have a world class time while they are in the DFW metroplex.  When someone makes a decision to fly a drone over restricted airspace, they are wasting valuable law enforcement resources and jeopardizing the safety and overall experience of those who are there to watch the beautiful game.  Please remember that you cannot fly a drone at or near the Dallas Stadium and FIFA Fan Festival, as they are no-fly zones,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould. “If you choose to ignore this warning, understand that we’ll be ready for you and you will be prosecuted.”

“It is the drone operator’s responsibility to understand where Temporary Flight Restrictions exist. Before you fly a drone, I strongly encourage you to check for active flight restrictions using an FAA-approved B4UFLY service provider,” said FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock. “To ensure the safety of the World Cup events, we will use our full suite of capabilities to identify drone operators violating TFRs, seize their drones, and support their prosecution.  

A complaint, an information, and an indictment are merely an allegations of criminal conduct, not evidence.  All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

See a drone breaking the rules?  Blow the whistle!  Report it to 911, on-site law enforcement, or the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI.

An Abilene federal jury convicted the former Anson, Texas City Manager of attempted enticement of a minor, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould.

Following a one-day trial, the jury convicted Ervin Joe Campbell, 64, on Monday, June 8, 2026, of one count of attempted enticement of a minor.

“This defendant elected to go to trial, which is his constitutional right.  But we were ready, and the jury convicted him of attempted enticement of a minor after only 30 minutes of deliberation.  The unfortunate and sad reality is that predators lurk in every facet of life, including those in positions of trust, like this defendant,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould.  “Under my watch, we will prioritize rooting out predators no matter where they lurk.”

“Protecting children from sexual predators is a top priority for Homeland Security Investigations,” said Special Agent in Charge Travis Pickard.  “This conviction demonstrates the commitment of HSI and our law enforcement partners to aggressively pursue those who seek to exploit minors and to ensure they are held accountable.”

According to evidence presented at trial, several federal, state and local law enforcement agencies worked together to conduct an undercover chat operation in Abilene, Texas, targeting the solicitation of prostitution and child predators.  During the operation, a sergeant with the Texas Attorney General’s Office posed as minors, aged fifteen and sixteen, via an undercover online account.  The advertisement posted on Facebook Marketplace was listed as “Massage and Fun.”

The jury also heard evidence that Campbell responded to the advertisement and agreed to meet the two minors for sex even after the undercover agent informed him that she and her friend were 15 and 16 years old, respectively.  Geolocation data from Campbell’s cell phone, and cell phone call detail records confirmed that Campbell left his home in Anson after the conversation on Facebook and drove approximately 30 minutes to a hotel in Abilene, Texas where he had agreed to meet the minors. He arrived with two condoms and more than $500 in cash and he had agreed to give the girls $500 in exchange for sex.  Agents further discovered that Campbell had saved a contact in his cell phone for the person he believed to be a 15-year-old minor and the contact’s name was listed as “15.”

Campbell is set for sentencing on September 17, 2026, before U.S. District Judge James Wesley Hendrix. Campbell faces a minimum of 10 years and up to life in federal prison. He also faces a $250,000 fine.  

The investigation was conducted by Homeland Security Investigations Dallas, the Texas Department of Public Safety Criminal Investigations Division in Abilene, the Texas Attorney General’s Office, and the Abilene Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Whitney James and Allyson Monte prosecuted the case.
 

The twenty-one members and associates of the violent Kiccdoe street gang that ravaged the streets of Arlington, Texas, have pled guilty to federal charges of racketeering (RICO conspiracy) or other drug and violent crimes in aid of racketeering charges , announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould.

Yesterday, June 4, one of those defendants, Chauncey Ross, 22, of Arlington, Texas, was sentenced to life in federal prison by United States District Judge Mark T. Pittman for his role in the RICO conspiracy.

“I will not tolerate gang-related violence in our district, so rest assured that our gang-related prosecutions will continue,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould.  “I am extremely proud of the work done by my prosecutors on this case, and I hope the citizens of Arlington feel safer knowing that these gang members are behind bars.  Through his conduct, defendant Ross earned the life sentence he received, and I hope his sentence serves as a warning to all gang members in our community.”

 
“This defendant’s role in the commission of a murder and his involvement in a violent gang that terrorized the Arlington community warrants the life sentence imposed in this case,” said FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock.  “We will continue working with our law enforcement partners to dismantle violent criminal organizations that threaten the safety of our communities.”

“This is a major win for our community,” said Arlington Police Chief Al Jones.  “In Arlington alone, we documented more than 180 criminal incidents, many of them violent in nature, involving the members of this street gang.  I have no doubt that our city is safer with these defendants off our streets.  I’m extremely grateful to the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas for their partnership on this case and for helping us achieve this outcome.”

During the sentencing hearing, the government drew the court’s attention to various aspects of evidence for its consideration in determining Ross’s sentence.  The government argued that Ross had shot and killed one young male and shot and injured another young female, while she was shielding her infant child with her body.  And that shortly after committing the murder, Ross had recorded a rap song bragging about the incident—with lyrics that “fiending for murder . . . gave [him] an itch,” among other graphic lyrics directly referencing the victim and the murder.

In addition to Ross, seven other defendants have been sentenced for their roles in the racketeering conspiracy (RICO conspiracy) or conduct stemming from their association with the Kiccdoe gang:

•    Kyron Oates, 22, of Grand Prairie, Texas, pled guilty to a RICO conspiracy and was sentenced to 188 months imprisonment.  During the sentencing hearing, the government highlighted evidence that showed that Oates was one of two shooters in a pre-meditated attempted murder occurring in February 2024.

•    Cortez Atkinson, 19, of Fort Worth, Texas, pled guilty to a RICO conspiracy and was sentenced to 176 months imprisonment.  During the sentencing hearing, the government drew the court’s attention to evidence showing that Atkinson initiated a gang-related shootout directly outside of an apartment complex, during which a stray bullet struck a 13-year old girl while she was in her bedroom.

•    KeyShawn Burton, 21, of Arlington, Texas, pled guilty to a RICO conspiracy and was sentenced to 127 months imprisonment.  During the sentencing hearing, the government argued that Burton not only trafficked narcotics but also actively participated in online group chats with other Kiccdoe gang members to conspire to shoot and kill a member of a rival gang.

•    Jaylen Jeshawn Franklin, 23, of Arlington, Texas, pled guilty to a RICO conspiracy and was sentenced to 122 months imprisonment.  During the sentencing hearing, the government highlighted evidence that showed Franklin had conspired with other Kiccdoe gang members to commit at least two drive-by shootings – in January and November 2022, and he also posted in a Kiccdoe group chat an image of one of the houses to target for the shootings.

•    Sir James Mack Williams, 22, of Arlington, Texas, pled guilty to a RICO conspiracy and was sentenced to 92 months imprisonment.  During the sentencing hearing, the government emphasized evidence showing that Williams was a shooter during a November 2022 drive-by shooting spree of two separate houses in Arlington, Texas.

•    Raphael Opare, 19, of Arlington, Texas, pled guilty to a RICO conspiracy and was sentenced to 41 months imprisonment.  In addition to trafficking narcotics, R. Opare admitted in court documents that he, together with other Kiccdoe gang members, conspired to kill a member of a rival gang in retaliation for a shooting that had occurred in April 2024.

•    JaMarion Manogin, 20, of Forney, Texas, pled guilty to two counts of Use of a Communication Facility in Causing or Facilitating the Commission of a Felony under the Controlled Substances Act and was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment for engaging in drug trafficking while using a cellphone.

The remaining 13 defendants are scheduled to be sentenced in the coming weeks:

•    June 12, 2026:       Bradley McArthur, Jr., 21, of Fort Worth, Texas, pled guilty to RICO conspiracy.
    Vernell Woods, 19, of Arlington, Texas, pled guilty to RICO conspiracy.
•    June 18, 2026:       LaMarion Austin, 21, of Dallas, Texas, pled guilty to RICO conspiracy.
    Isaiah Wiley, 21, of Dallas, Texas, pled guilty to RICO conspiracy. 
    Joseph Hill, 18, of Fort Worth, Texas, pled guilty to RICO conspiracy. 
    Marcus Shaw, 20, of Arlington, Texas, pled guilty to RICO conspiracy.
•    July 2, 2026:       Sadedrick Wilson, 22, of Fort Worth, Texas, pled guilty to RICO conspiracy.
    Dillen Opare, 20, of Arlington, Texas, pled guilty to RICO conspiracy. 
    DaTraven Warren, 18, of Mansfield, Texas, pled guilty to RICO conspiracy.
    DeMarco Westmoreland, 19, of Mansfield, Texas, pled guilty to RICO conspiracy.
•    July 9, 2026:       Michael Mensah, 18, of Grand Prairie, Texas, pled guilty to RICO conspiracy. 
•    September 10, 2026:       Jakayla Totten, 21, of DeSoto, Texas, pled guilty to one count of Assault with a Dangerous Weapon in Aid of Racketeering.
•    September 17, 2026:       Blake Aaron Scott, 22, of Arlington, Texas, pled guilty to RICO conspiracy.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Arlington Police Department conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Laura G. Montes and Eric B. Chen prosecuted the case with assistance from Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Capoccia.
 

Forty-eight alleged drug traffickers and violators from San Angelo and the surrounding areas have been arrested as part of an 18-month-long narcotics operation, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould at a press conference in San Angelo, Texas today.

“This message should send a loud and clear message to drug dealers in the Concho Valley.  We are coming for you,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould.  “This operation is proof of concept for state, local, and federal agents coming together to dismantle an alleged drug trafficking network.  As U.S. Attorney, I will put more time, attention, and resources into ensuring that the Concho Valley is safe.”

“Operation Concho Valley was a decisive, collaborative effort. By combining resources and expertise, we dismantled this drug trafficking organization and removed a dangerous presence that had cast a shadow over West Texas communities.  These drugs fuel addiction, breed violence, and destroy families. The network we targeted was importing large quantities of methamphetamine, cocaine, heroin, and lethal fentanyl — substances that threaten public safety and the quality of life for residents,” said DEA San Antonio Division Special Agent in Charge Miguel Madrigal.

Twenty-four of the alleged drug dealers were federally indicted on May 13, 2026, and were arrested following a large-scale drug bust in San Angelo last week.  Another 24 alleged violators were charged by local district attorneys on felony and misdemeanor offenses related to the operation.

Those charged in three separate federal indictments include: 

• Oscar Leonel Casillas Jr., charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine
• Cedrick Jerrod Jones, charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine
• George Henry Walker, charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine
• Marcus Maurice Parker, charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and distribution and possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine
• Miguel Angel Hernandez Jr., charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine
• Shunte Gregory Ray, charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute cocaine
• Tasha Diane Rose, charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and distribution and possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine 
• Juan Carlos Sanchez, charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and with being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm
• Audry Michelle Allen, charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine 
• Carlos Gregory Lopez Jr., charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and distribution and possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine
• Amanda Marlene Burney, charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and distribution and possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine
• Michael Todd Holleman, charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute 5 grams or more of methamphetamine
• Daniel Arizola, charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine
• Alissa Johnn Catrett, charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and distribution and possession with intent to distribute 5 grams or more of methamphetamine
• Jeannetta Antonetta James, charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute 5 grams or more of methamphetamine
• Brian Matthew Epperson, charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and distribution and possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine
• Brandon Chappell, charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and distribution and possession with intent to distribute 5 grams or more of methamphetamine
• Bannon Dalhart Roe, charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine
• Marcella Sanchez Hererra, charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute 5 grams or more of methamphetamine
• Roy Gene Nichols Jr., charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine  
• Ray Enriquez, charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute 5 grams or more of methamphetamine
• Rebecca Salcedo Leon, charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine 
• Eric Hernandez, distribution and possession with intent to distribute 5 grams or more of methamphetamine
• Armando Meza, distribution and possession with intent to distribute 5 grams or more of methamphetamine

Those charged by the 51st District Attorney, Allison Palmer, and the 119th District Attorney, John H. Best, include 16 additional state felony cases and 9 misdemeanor cases, alleging various drug offenses, evading arrest offenses, and other violations.

The operation involved over 30 agents, officers, and deputies from the Drug Enforcement Administration’s San Antonio Field Division, Federal Bureau of Investigation’s San Angelo Field Office, the Texas Department of Public Safety, the Tom Green County Sheriff’s Office, the San Angelo Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, the United States Marshal’s Office, the U.S. Customs & Border Patrol – Air & Marine Operations – San Angelo, and the Abilene Police Department.

Over the course of the operation, agents seized over 35 kilograms of methamphetamine, 303 grams of cocaine, and 10 firearms.
 

“Operation Concho Valley Shakedown” was a San Angelo-area first: a comprehensive narcotics investigation that involved seven separate local, state and federal law enforcement agencies, and the combined efforts of federal and state prosecutors.  The collaboration by the agencies was evident in the attached video taken during the takedown that occurred on May 28, 2026.

If convicted, some defendants face a sentence of up to life in federal prison.

This HSTF investigation was conducted by agents and officers from the Drug Enforcement Administration’s San Antonio Division, the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s San Angelo Field Office, the Texas Department of Public Safety, the Tom Green County Sheriff’s Office, the San Angelo Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, the United States Marshal’s Service, U.S. Customs & Border Patrol – Air & Marine Operations – San Angelo, and the Abilene Police Department, with the prosecution being led by the Abilene Division of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas.

An indictment is merely an allegation of criminal conduct, not evidence.  All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

“Operation Concho Valley Shakedown” is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (“HSTF”) 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 United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting, the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders.
 

A fourth family member was sentenced to 90 months in prison on May 28 following a jury trial that resulted in convictions of four men for a multimillion-dollar tax refund fraud scheme. Brandon Hunt was sentenced to 90 months in prison for orchestrating a scheme to file false tax returns in the names of purported trusts. Brandon Hunt’s father David Hunt, his twin brother Baylon Hunt, and his half-brother Corey Burt were previously sentenced to 92 months, 38 months, and 94 months in prison, respectively.

According to statements made in court and evidence presented at trial, the Hunts, of Arlington, Texas, and Burt, formerly of Long Beach, Mississippi, executed a scheme to file false claims for tax refunds in the names of trusts they controlled. In total, they sought more than $8.5 million in tax refunds that the trusts were not entitled to receive. Brandon Hunt also filed multiple false returns in his own name that sought tax refunds he was not entitled to receive. As part of their scheme, the family members also submitted additional fake documents to the IRS including falsified financial instruments and altered money orders. Even after receiving warning letters to discontinue their fraudulent submissions, they continued filing false returns and other documents with the IRS.

As a result of the scheme, the co-conspirators received over $1.7 million in fraudulent proceeds from the IRS, which they shared and used to purchase luxury goods, furniture, cryptocurrency, a Cadillac Escalade and a house in Mississippi.

All four defendants were convicted at trial of conspiracy to defraud the United States. Brandon Hunt, David Hunt, and Corey Burt were also convicted of multiple counts of aiding and assisting in the preparation of false tax returns. Baylon Hunt was acquitted of two counts of aiding and assisting in the preparation of false tax returns. 

In addition to the terms of imprisonment, Brandon Hunt was ordered to pay $1,774,864 in restitution to the United States.

Assistant Attorney General Colin McDonald of the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division and U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould for the Northern District of Texas made the announcement. 

IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the case. The U.S. Marshals Service rendered valuable assistance in apprehending Brandon, Baylon and David Hunt after they failed to appear for the second day of trial.

Trial Attorneys Melissa Siskind and Daniel Lipkowitz of the Criminal Division’s Tax Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark McDonald of the Northern District of Texas prosecuted the case.

On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (“Fraud Division”). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.

A man has been charged in connection with an armed carjacking that occurred next to the federal and county courthouses in downtown Lubbock, Texas last Friday morning, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould.

Isaiah Joshua Lee Houston, 26, of Colorado Springs, Colorado, was federally charged for his role in a May 29, 2026, carjacking that ended with Houston being shot.  Houston was charged by federal complaint less than eight hours after the attack.  Houston will make his initial appearance on the charges today, June 1, 2026, and remains in federal custody pending further proceedings.  If convicted, Houston faces a statutory maximum sentence of fifteen years in federal prison.

“Less than two weeks ago, I stood next to representatives from several law enforcement agencies and announced Operation Hub City Shield,” said U.S. Attorney Raybould.  “I made clear that the incredible relationship between our federal, state, and local partners is what makes Lubbock the gold standard for law enforcement cooperation.  When violent criminals seek to target innocent members of the public, together we will swiftly find them, charge them, and use the full weight of federal and state laws to hold them accountable.  Mr. Houston should have been listening.”

“The swift response of law enforcement and security personnel helped bring this dangerous situation to a safe conclusion,” said Special Agent in Charge Brian Garner of the ATF Dallas Field Division.  “Any violent crime involving the threatened use of force in a public setting poses a serious risk to the community.  ATF will continue working alongside our local, state, and federal partners to thoroughly investigate the circumstances surrounding this incident and ensure accountability for those who endanger public safety.”

“Combatting violent crime remains a priority for the FBI.  Along with our law enforcement partners, we will continue to address public safety threats and hold dangerous offenders accountable,” said FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock.

According to the complaint, last Friday morning Houston approached a box truck as it stopped at a red light at the intersection of Buddy Holly Avenue and Broadway Street in downtown Lubbock.  Houston attempted to open the driver’s door, but the driver was able to push Houston away from the vehicle.

Houston then ran toward a nearby black SUV that was parked westbound on Broadway Street, next to the Lubbock County Courthouse and just to the north of the George H. Mahon Federal Building.  As he ran toward the SUV, Houston pulled a knife from his pocket, opened the driver’s side door, and forcibly removed an adult female from the driver’s seat.  At the time of the carjacking, the female was sitting in the driver’s seat of her vehicle and holding a newborn baby.

Houston entered the SUV but was quickly confronted by a nearby security guard along with an off-duty officer with the Lubbock Police Department (LPD).  Houston fled from the vehicle and ran around the west side of the Lubbock County Courthouse.

Surveillance video from outside the federal building showed Houston approaching the SUV and removing the female from the vehicle before being confronted by law enforcement, some of which is depicted below:

Houston continued running around the county courthouse and then fled southbound on Buddy Holly Avenue toward Broadway Street.  A witness provided agents with a cellphone video of Houston then attempting to climb into the back of a moving pickup truck while being pursued by law enforcement, which is depicted below:

The security guard observed that Houston was still holding the same knife he saw earlier.  The security guard then fired shots at Houston, hitting him once in the leg. Houston was then taken into custody, and the knife was recovered along Houston’s running path.

Multiple federal and state agencies responded to the incident and secured the scene.  Within just a few hours, federal and state agents had interviewed witnesses, recovered videos of the incident, and presented a United States Magistrate Judge with proposed criminal charges, which were quickly approved.

This investigation was a joint investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Lubbock Police Department, the Lubbock County Sheriff’s Office, and the Lubbock Texas Anti-Gang Center.  Assistant United States Attorney Stephen Rancourt is prosecuting the case.

A complaint is merely an allegation of criminal conduct.  All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

A former Dallas Housing Authority (DHA) maintenance supervisor who stole from DHA was sentenced to 2 years in federal prison, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould.  

Joel Ipina, 50, pled guilty in November 2025 to theft concerning programs receiving government funds.  He was sentenced on May 21, 2026, by United States District Judge Jane J. Boyle, who also ordered him to pay $473,641 in restitution.

“This defendant abused a position of trust to steal public funds intended to serve the Dallas community.   This sentence reflects our commitment to protecting taxpayer-funded programs and holding accountable those who exploit them,” said U.S. Attorney Raybould.

According to court documents, Ipina was employed by DHA from 1995 to 2024.  DHA receives federal funding through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).  As a maintenance supervisor, Ipina was responsible for approving maintenance work orders and selecting contractors to perform work on properties under his supervision.

From approximately August 2019 through February 2024, Ipina carried out a scheme to enrich himself by steering maintenance contracts to a company he owned and controlled without DHA’s knowledge.  As part of the scheme, he submitted fabricated competing bids to ensure contracts were awarded to his company and caused DHA to pay for work that was never performed.

“Joel Ipina’s selfish actions diverted almost $500,000 in federal funds intended to provide housing services to vulnerable community members and also took away the opportunity for other actual hard-working companies to compete for contracts and provide services to the Housing Authority of the City of Dallas,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Aaron McCullough with the HUD, Office of Inspector General (OIG).   “HUD OIG will continue to work with its law enforcement partners to diligently pursue and hold accountable individuals who take advantage of their positions of trust and misuse public funds.”

The HUD Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Elise Aldendifer prosecuted the case.

13 defendants were convicted and sentenced to a combined 915 months for dealing drugs, conspiring to deal drugs, and unlawfully possessing firearms announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould. 

In this operation, law enforcement seized 4.1 kilograms of marijuana, 282 grams of crack cocaine, 2.3 kilograms of cocaine, 1.2 kilograms of methamphetamine, 6.1 grams of fentanyl, 12 firearms, 2 glock switches, and $11,985 of United States currency. 

The Court sentenced the last defendant as part of the DTO on May 7, 2026.   

In total, 13 defendants were all convicted and received the following prison sentences: 

• Edward Williams – 240 months 
• Courtney Smith – 87 months 
• Davonia Hart – 50 months 
• Alicia Slaughter – 57 months 
• Perry Taylor – 42 months 
• Lucis Lugo – 57 months 
• Dmarcus Quartez Roderick Moton – 40 months 
• Quentavis Zikeiy Hawkins – time served (approximately 13.5 months) 
• Jordan Davis – 87 months 
• Xavier Barnes – 92 months 
• Brandon Bedford – 87 months 
• Ladarius Holly – 37 months 
• Sebastian Medlock – 26 months 

This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (“HSTF”) 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 United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting, the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, 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.  HSTF Dallas comprises agents and officers from FBI- Dallas and the Dallas Police Department with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas.  

The Violent Crime Reduction Plan utilized hot spot policing across 47 neighborhoods that were identified as having the highest rates of violent crime. These neighborhoods were selected based on a comprehensive statistical analysis conducted by a local university.  Investigators focused on one of the neighborhoods, most frequently associated with criminal activity, which include the sale of illicit narcotics, illegal firearms, machine gun conversion devices, as well as violent crimes such as capital murder, aggravated robbery, aggravated assault, and assault on public servants.

This operation represents a significant step forward in the shared mission of FBI Dallas, Dallas Police Department and the Northern District of Texas, to reduce violent crime and protect our community. The success of this initiative demonstrates the power of collaboration between federal and local law enforcement agencies in keeping Dallas safe.

The Dallas Police Department (DPD) and the Dallas Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation Safe Streets and Gang Task Force (SSGTF) investigated the case.  The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas prosecuted the case.

An Amarillo woman pleaded guilty on May 11, 2026, to embezzling funds from a federal program, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould.

Selene Varela, 41, pleaded guilty Monday to a felony information charging Theft Concerning a Program Receiving Federal Funds.

“We rely on our public officials to ensure that our laws our faithfully and dutifully executed,” said U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould “Instead, the defendants planned and executed a scheme to use their public positions to line their own pockets at the expense of folks in Amarillo who are homeless—the intended beneficiaries of the pandemic program.  I’d encourage the public across North Texas to reach out to my office if they witness or have information regarding public officials engaging in any corruption.” 

“Selene Varela abused her position of trust by embezzling federal funds intended to help individuals experiencing homelessness secure stable housing,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Aaron McCullough with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Office of Inspector General (OIG). “HUD OIG remains committed to working with our law enforcement partners to aggressively pursue and hold accountable those who misuse public funds and exploit positions of trust for personal gain.”

In plea papers, Varela admitted that she previously worked for the City of Amarillo in the Community Development Department.  From 2020 through 2022, Varela managed the intake process for homeless, or soon-to-be homeless, members of the Amarillo community who needed financial assistance to maintain housing.  During the COVID-19 pandemic, the federal government funded these initiatives through the CARES Act.

Varela used her role as a city employee to create fictitious applications for this funding.  In one instance, she fraudulently applied to have her own rent paid for six months—a fraudulent payment of $6,600.  Varela also created accounts for fictitious landlords and tenants.  She would submit false applications for payment and then cash the checks, keeping the proceeds.  In total, Varela admitted to receiving approximately $41,350 in fraudulent distributions processed by the City of Amarillo.

Varela now faces up to 10 years in federal prison.  Her sentencing date has not been set.

This case is related to the prosecution of two other former City of Amarillo employees who carried out similar schemes.  In June 2024, Amy Dixon pleaded guilty to embezzling $465,511.65 while working in the Community Development Department.  On October 23, 2024, United States District Judge Matthew J. Kacsmaryk sentenced Dixon to 24 months in federal prison.  In March 2025, Vanessa Robinson pleaded guilty to embezzling $121,325.21 while working in the same department.  Robinson was sentenced by Judge Kacsmaryk to 18 months in federal prison on July 22, 2025.

The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development Office of Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean Long is prosecuting the case and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Josh Frausto prosecuted Dixon and Robinson.

A previously convicted felon who shot at Grand Prairie Police Department (GPPD) officers during a domestic violence investigation was charged with unlawful possession of a firearm announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould. 

“The Chief in Grand Prairie has been a great friend to this office and to our collective efforts in rooting out violent crime in North Texas.  I told him when I met with him months ago that we would stand up for the men and women under his charge.  Today I’m keeping my promise.  We will always go after those who try to intimidate and harm our great law enforcement officers in North Texas.”

The complaint alleges that on May 2, 2026, GPPD officers were dispatched to investigate a domestic disturbance after a child called to report that things had gotten “physical” while their mom and her boyfriend were arguing.  Upon arrival at the scene, GPPD officers encountered Malik Williams sitting in a silver Altima.  Upon seeing the mother in a blood-stained shirt, officers told Williams that he was not free to leave.  Williams immediately sped off in the Altima and officers pursued with their lights and sirens activated.  Eventually, a GPPD officer executed a Precision Immobilization Technique (PIT) maneuver to force Williams’ car to stop and block the driver’s door so that Williams could not escape.

As the officer got out of his patrol vehicle, Williams shot at him with an AR-15 rifle. A second officer then returned fire. Williams surrendered after he was struck and injured.  He was then taken to a hospital.  Investigators later learned that Williams was on parole for six prior felonies—five of them involving domestic violence against the same domestic violence victim in this case.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Grand Prairie Police Department conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Walt Junker is prosecuting the case. 

An Abilene man who Produced Child Pornography as a Registered Sex Offender was sentenced yesterday to 50 years in federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould. 

Kai Isaiah Ranaglia-Nelson, 25, was indicted in December 2025 and pleaded guilty in January 2026 to Production of Child Pornography. He was sentenced yesterday to 600 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Brantley Starr.

“Despite previously being convicted of sexually extorting minors, the defendant preyed on young kids to coax them into producing and sending him child pornography.  In the Northern District of Texas we will make sure that these criminals get ejected from the community and sit in federal prison for as long as possible under the law.  The Judge sent an unshakable message to the community: if you prey on North Texas kids, you will go to federal prison for a very long time.” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould. 

In 2020, Nelson pleaded guilty to two counts of Sexual Extortion and one count of Sexual Exploitation of a Minor in Arizona. In that case, Nelson groomed and exploited multiple children. Despite receiving a five-year prison sentence and being released on supervision in 2023, Nelson resumed exploiting children shortly after his release.

In late 2025, as a part of Operation Relentless Justice, a coordinated enforcement effort to identify, track, and arrest child sex predators, law enforcement identified Ranaglia-Nelson after he used Snapchat to entice and coerce a thirteen-year-old child into producing multiple sexually explicit videos. The nationwide crackdown resulted in over 205 child victims being located and the arrests of over 293 child sexual abuse offenders. The coordinated effort was executed over the course of two weeks by all 56 FBI field offices, the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) in the Department’s Criminal Division, and U.S. Attorneys’ offices around the country.

FBI Dallas Field Office (Abilene RA), the Abilene Police Department, and the Taylor County Sheriff’s Office handled the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Whitney James prosecuted the case.

These operations underscore the Department’s unwavering commitment to protecting children and combating child sexual exploitation. These cases were brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. attorneys’ offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit justice.gov/psc.

The Department partners with and oversees funding grants for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), which receives and shares tips about possible child sexual exploitation received through its 24/7 hotline at 1-800-THE-LOST and on missingkids.org.

The Department urges the public to remain vigilant, and report suspected exploitation of a child through the FBI's tipline at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324), tips.fbi.gov, or by calling your local FBI field office.