Northern District of Texas

The United States obtained a court order authorizing the recovery of nearly $30 million in restitution for the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould.

In late 2025, defendants Nathan Reis and Stephanie Hockridge were sentenced for participating in a scheme to defraud the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).  As part of their sentences, the defendants were ordered to pay over $63 million in restitution to the SBA.  (Prior press release available here:  https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndtx/pr/co-founder-paycheck-protection-program-lender-service-provider-sentenced-10-years)

The United States discovered that both defendants had transferred millions from their personal brokerage accounts to newly-created family trusts after the course of their fraudulent scheme.  To enforce the restitution order, the United States filed a garnishment action seeking recovery of assets held within those trust accounts.  The United States argued that, despite the transfers and the trust provisions, the defendants remained the true beneficial owners of the assets and continued to exercise control over the funds.

On April 29, 2026, the Court denied the objections filed by the defendants and trustees and ruled that the United States was entitled to garnish the trust assets.  The Court found that the defendants effectively retained possession of property and continued to enjoy the benefits of the assets held by the trusts.

The United States expects to recover nearly $30 million in restitution through these enforcement efforts and continues to enforce the restitution ordered in this case.

“As this decision shows, our office’s work does not end just because a conviction has been obtained and a sentenced pronounced,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Rabould.  “We will continue to aggressively track down and recover assets from defendants who have been ordered to make restitution for their crimes, no matter how long it takes or what efforts defendants may make to try to hide their ill-gotten gains.”

The Department of Justice and the United States Attorney’s Offices are responsible for prosecuting restitution owed to federal crime victims, including federal agencies.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Saurabh Sharad handled this matter on behalf of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas.

Note: View petition for enforcement here.

Yesterday, the Department of Justice’s Enforcement and Affirmative Litigation Branch and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas filed a petition in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas to enforce a subpoena issued to Rhode Island Hospital demanding records related to pediatric sex-rejecting procedures.

According to the filed petition, the Department of Justice served a subpoena under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act on Rhode Island Hospital as part of its investigation into the distribution of certain prescription drugs to minors with gender dysphoria and related disorders, including puberty blocking drugs and cross-sex hormones. To date, Rhode Island Hospital has not complied with the subpoena.

“The Department of Justice expects and demands full compliance with validly issued subpoenas like the one at issue here,” said Brett A. Shumate, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Division. “Non-compliance with lawful process is never an option.”

Additional information about the Enforcement and Affirmative Litigation Branch and its enforcement efforts may be found at www.justice.gov/civil/enforcement-affirmative-litigation-branch. For more information about the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas, visit its website at www.justice.gov/usao-ndtx.

A former Brink’s, Inc. employee was sentenced to 171 months in federal prison for robbing two Brink’s armored trucks, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould.

Isaiah Warren, 25, was sentenced today, April 27, 2026, by Senior United States District Judge David C. Godbey for interfering with commerce by robbery and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.  In addition to the term of imprisonment, Warren was ordered to pay $696,700 in restitution, among other conditions.

According to court documents, on November 30, 2024, at approximately 12:06 p.m., a Brink’s armored truck driver was completing his assigned route when he arrived at DolEx Dollar Express located at 1788 W. Irving Boulevard, in Irving, Texas.  DolEx is a check cashing and money transfer business.  The Brink’s driver collected the deposits from DolEx and placed the deposits in a Brink’s tote bag.  Warren, who was wearing all black, including a ski mask and a Loomis branded jacket, approached the driver as he was returning to the Brink’s armored truck. Then, Warren pressed a handgun underneath the driver’s body armor and removed the driver’s Brink’s issued firearm from his holster.  Warren then took the tote bag from the driver that contained approximately $34,700, which had just been collected from DolEx.  Warren then fled from the location in a vehicle.

Court records also revealed that Warren admitted that on December 31, 2024, he and another individual robbed a second Brink’s armored truck.  On that day, a Brink’s armored truck driver was beginning her assigned route refilling ATM machines with United States (U.S.) currency.  At approximately 9:54 a.m., the Brink’s driver arrived at the Educational Employees Credit Union (EECU) located at 9350 Clifford Street, in Fort Worth, Texas.  The driver parked the Brink’s truck in front of EECU and exited the truck.  Warren and another individual then approached the driver while armed with handguns and wearing face coverings.

The Brink’s driver was forced back into the Brink’s truck at gunpoint. Once inside, both Warren and the other individual entered the secure area of the truck where the U.S. currency was kept in bags, and Warren took two Brink’s cash bags containing approximately $662,000. After exiting the Brink’s truck, he and the other individual were confronted by a security guard employed by EECU. Warren pointed his firearm at the security guard and then he and the other individual fled on foot with the bags of stolen money.

Court records further revealed that on January 3, 2025, Warren and a female passenger were pulled over on a traffic stop after running a red light in Gainesville, Texas.  Warren was found to be in possession of a Springfield XD .40 caliber handgun that he used in both robberies, multi-gram quantities of marijuana, and $98,785 in stolen U.S. currency.

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

A former Dallas Police Department sergeant who sold stolen service weapons was sentenced to 28 months in federal prison, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould.

Thomas Fry, 53, of Royse City, Texas, was sentenced on Wednesday, April 22, 2026, by United States District Judge Brantley Starr for possession and sale of a stolen firearm.

“This police officer violated his oath and the public’s trust when he chose to commit a crime,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould. “Our law enforcement partners work day and night to keep us safe and enforce the law, and our trust and faith in them will not waiver.  We will work tirelessly with our law enforcement partners to root out the few bad apples among their ranks.”

“This case strikes at the core of public trust,” said Brian Garner Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Dallas Field Division. “The very individuals entrusted to safeguard our communities must be held to the highest standard. When that trust is violated through the theft and illegal sale of firearms, it endangers the public and undermines the integrity of law enforcement. This 28-month federal sentence sends a clear message: no one is above the law, and those who abuse their authority will be held accountable. ATF remains committed to working alongside our partners to protect our communities and prevent illegal firearms trafficking.

Court records reveal that Fry, who at the time was a sergeant with the Dallas Police Department, admitted to three separate instances of taking a firearm owned by the Dallas Police Department, knowing that the firearms were stolen, and selling them to an Oklahoma pawn shop in June and July of 2022.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives and the Dallas Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Marty Basu prosecuted the case.
 

A Dallas man was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison for assaulting a federal officer with a deadly weapon and methamphetamine and heroin trafficking, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould.

Angel Flores, 36, of Dallas, was sentenced on April 22, 2026, by United States District Judge Ed Kinkeade for assaulting a federal officer and conspiring to possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and heroin.

According to court records, Flores, and another individual, Andres Saucedo, Jr., 42, of Dallas, were involved in importing and trafficking large quantities of methamphetamine and heroin obtained from a Mexico-based drug trafficking organization.  Court documents reveal that Flores sold undercover agents a kilogram of heroin for $7,200 in the Dallas area in late 2024.  Flores, Saucedo, and others working with them continued selling kilogram quantities of methamphetamine to numerous other individuals from that time until Flores was arrested on May 21, 2025.  The two even orchestrated the sale of two kilograms of methamphetamine on May 20, 2025, the day before Flores was apprehended by FBI SWAT. 

During the investigation, according to court documents, agents discovered that Flores, Saucedo, and others plotted to rob another drug trafficker of 30 to 40 kilograms of methamphetamine on May 19, 2025.  While surveilling Flores and Saucedo to prevent this robbery, Flores and Saucedo realized they were being followed and attempted to lure two federal agents to a place where other coconspirators in their group would ambush and shoot them.  Before reaching the planned ambush location, Saucedo fired a gun at an undercover FBI Task Force Officer in one of the vehicles.  The undercover officer was an FBI Task Force Officer with the Dallas Police Department who was working with the OCDETF North Texas Strike Force, now the Homeland Security Task Force.

“Angel Flores was not only a drug trafficker who poisoned our communities with massive amounts of deadly heroin and methamphetamine, he was also a predator in the violent business of robbing other narco-traffickers,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould. “This predator of predators will spend the next 30 years extracted from our community.”

“Combatting violent crime and drug trafficking is the primary focus of the Dallas Homeland Security Task Force. The sentence imposed in this case underscores the seriousness of the defendant’s role in distributing large quantities of narcotics and assaulting a federal law enforcement officer. The FBI will continue working with our partners to dismantle the infrastructure of drug trafficking organizations in our communities,” said FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock.

“Yesterday’s sentence is an example of the serious consequences of dealing dangerous drugs and committing violent acts in our communities,” said Joseph B. Tucker, Special Agent in Charge of DEA Dallas.  “Mr. Flores will spend the next 30 years in federal prison for dealing dangerous drugs and assaulting a federal officer.  DEA Dallas is committed to hold the rule of law and protect American lives.  DEA and its Homeland Security Task Force law enforcement partners throughout the region will continue to investigate those who prey on the innocent in our communities and bring them to justice.”

This investigation was conducted by the OCDETF North Texas Strike force, now the Homeland Security Task Force, with Special Agents and Task Force Officers from DEA, FBI, HSI, the Dallas Police Department, Grand Prairie Police Department and Coppell Police Department all participating. First Assistant U.S. Attorney Courtney L. Coker 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.
 

A Fort Worth federal jury convicted a Keller man of a firearm crime at the Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould.

Following a three-day trial, the jury convicted Xavier Lamar Mottley, also known as Xavier Thomas, 44, of Keller, on Wednesday, April 22, 2026, of being a felon in possession of a firearm.

“DFW is one of the largest and busiest airports in the world, and as the North Texas area continues to grow, it is important that we remain vigilant to keep the millions of people who travel through our airports annually safe.  I am committed to investigating and prosecuting any case that impacts the safety of our North Texas residents who use and travel through our airports,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould.  “Congratulations to the trial team and the agents who worked tirelessly for the defendant to be held accountable.”

“Through collaborative efforts with our law enforcement partners, we were able to identify and seize an unsecured firearm. This quick response ensured the safety of all those who traverse DFW Airport,” said FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock.

According to evidence presented at trial, on July 24, 2024, while at DFW Airport, Mottley checked in a bag under the name of his minor daughter containing an unsecured and loaded Sig Sauer pistol. The jury heard that after authorities with the Transportation Security Administration and DFW Airport Department of Public Safety confronted him, Mottley lied about his felony status and weaved a story initially claiming, then disclaiming, his ownership of the gun.
The jury also heard evidence that Mottley had two prior felony convictions, a federal conviction for access device fraud and a state conviction for theft of property valued over $1,500. Mottley and his wife testified that the gun belonged to his wife and that she had forgotten to remove it from the backpack after taking a trip the year prior.

Mottley is set for sentencing on August 7, 2026, before Chief U.S. District Judge Reed O’Connor, who presided over the trial.  Mottley faces up to 15 years in federal prison.  

The Federal Bureau of Investigation and DFW Airport Department of Public Safety conducted the investigation with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Transportation Security Administration.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eric B. Chen and Matt Capoccia prosecuted this case.
 

Fourteen defendants from Texas and New Mexico were indicted by a federal grand jury in Lubbock, Texas for their roles in a large-scale oil theft conspiracy in the Permian Basin, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould.

The indictment charges each of the defendants with conspiracy to transport stolen property in interstate commerce, and several defendants are also charged with interstate transportation of stolen property, and receipt, possession, or sale of stolen property.

According to the indictment returned on April 8, 2026, all 14 defendants allegedly conspired to transport stolen crude oil across the New Mexico-Texas border for the purpose of enriching themselves.  The indictment alleges that several defendants stole crude oil from oil producers in the Eastern New Mexico region of the Permian Basin, some of which was then stored on land that one of the conspirators leased from the United States government.  That conspirator then sold the stolen crude oil to others in the conspiracy at prices significantly below West Texas Intermediate (“WTI”) pricing.  WTI is the benchmark used to price crude oil in the Permian Basin and much of the United States.  The charges further state that the conspirators, knowing the crude oil was stolen, then transported the oil across the New Mexico-Texas border for further sale at a profit.

Texas defendants:

•    Randell Wayne Reid, 41, of Electra, Texas, owner of Reidco Enterprises, a Texas-based company; •    James Darrell Reid, 65, of Electra, owner of Reidco Enterprises; and 
•    Christopher Frederick Harris, 22, of Seminole, Texas.

Lovington, New Mexico defendants:

•    Louis George Edgett, 68; •    Brenden Floyd Strickland, 25;  •    Sixto Herrera-Estebane, 43; •    Gyardo Gonzalez, 47; •    Jesus Martin Hernandez-Borja, 51; •    Diana Marquez Rojo, 45; •    Jose Luis Rojo, 49; •    Jose Mario Rivas-Mendoza, 37; •    Miguel A. Soto, 41; •    Tavares Montrail Cole, 48; and
•    Danny Dale Brown Jr., 42.

If convicted, each defendant faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison on the conspiracy charge and up to ten years in federal prison on each count of interstate transportation of stolen property, and receipt, possession, or sale of stolen property.
The Permian Basin is a vast sedimentary shale basin spanning over 86,000 square miles in Southeastern New Mexico and West Texas.  It is the largest oil-producing region in the United States and accounts for the majority of all U.S. crude oil production.

The Bureau of Land Management, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Texas Department of Public Safety-Criminal Investigation Division, Lea County, New Mexico Sheriff’s Office, and the Eddy County, New Mexico Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Ann Howey 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 CEO and a supervisor at Empowered Finances, a tax preparation business, were federally indicted on April 7, 2026, for their roles in filing fraudulent tax returns with the IRS, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould.

According to the indictment, during the years 2020 through 2023, Terrance Hatley, 33, of McKinney, Texas, and Jason Pogue, 45, of Dallas, Texas allegedly conspired to file false tax returns through Hatley’s businesses, Empowered Finances, formerly known as Griggs Financial, located in Addison, Texas. The charges state that the fraudulent tax returns filed at Empowered sought false refunds by either fabricating businesses with large losses or by claiming Coronavirus leave credits made available under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act. As a tax preparation fee, customers were often charged about a third of the fraudulent refund amount.

In addition to conspiracy to defraud the United States, Hatley and Pogue were charged with 23 counts and 10 counts, respectively, of aiding and assisting in the preparation of false tax returns.

If convicted, each defendant faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison on the conspiracy charge and a maximum penalty of three years in prison for each of the other charges.

IRS-Criminal Investigations conducted the investigation.  Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Ignacio Perez de la Cruz 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 IRS has published the Dirty Dozen Tax Scams for 2026. Those can be accessed here: Dirty Dozen Tax Scams for 2026.
 

Four Dallas area gang members were charged by federal criminal complaint for their roles in trafficking methamphetamine, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould.

Ventrous Deshun James, Joseph Lewis Morgan, Dionyuta Henry, and David Beaty, were charged by federal complaint on April 14, 2026, with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.

According to the criminal complaint, in October 2025, law enforcement agents initiated a joint investigation into members of the ‘007 Bonton bloods’ criminal street gang.  As part of the investigation, agents searched multiple residences in Seagoville.  They located significant quantities of controlled substances and evidence of drug trafficking activity, including approximately 22.7 pounds of methamphetamine, 4.6 pounds of methamphetamine tablets, 1.6 pounds of cocaine, 77.9 pounds of marijuana, and 52.2 grams of marijuana wax.  Agents also seized more than $61,000 in U.S. currency, along with additional narcotics trafficking paraphernalia, as depicted below:

In addition, as alleged in the complaint, agents recovered more than 25 firearms, including three firearms equipped with machine gun conversion devices (“switches”), which convert semi-automatic pistols into fully automatic weapons, as well as additional switches, ammunition, and firearm magazines.

If convicted, each defendant faces a statutory maximum penalty of up to 40 years in federal prison.  The defendants remain in custody pending further court proceedings.

The Dallas Police Department (DPD) Special Investigation Division (SID), the DPD Gang Unit, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF) Group VII and the FBI Safe Streets Violent Gang Task Force, Dallas Division investigated the case.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Caroline Poore is prosecuting 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.  

A Mexican citizen who was illegally present in the United States was sentenced to 18 years in federal prison for methamphetamine trafficking, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould.

Alejandro Orozco Ramirez, 26, was sentenced on April 13, 2026, by United States District Judge Sam A. Lindsay for conspiring to possess with the intent to distribute approximately 14 kilograms of methamphetamine.

Court records reveal that between May 9, 2024, and June 18, 2024, as part of the conspiracy, Orozco Ramirez agreed to provide co-defendant Santiago Prado-Gonzalez with approximately 4 kilograms of methamphetamine, which Prado-Gonzalez intended to distribute to another person.  However, when Orozco Ramirez was on his way to deliver the methamphetamine to Prado-Gonzalez, he was intercepted by law enforcement agents and arrested.  Court records included a photo of the seized methamphetamine:
 

During sentencing, the government noted that Orozco Ramirez was illegally present in the United States and that when officers searched his residence, they found another 10 kilograms of methamphetamine, $5,340 in United States currency, a drug ledger, a drug scale, and four firearms.  One of the firearms was an AK-47 capable of firing rounds continuously with a single press of the trigger, also referred to as “full-auto capable.”

Co-defendant Santiago Prado Gonzalez’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for July 20, 2026.

The Drug Enforcement Administration’s Dallas Field Division conducted the investigation in conjunction with the Texoma High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force (HIDTA), the Richardson Police Department, the Hickory Creek Police Department, the Dallas Police Department, the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office, and the Drug Enforcement Administration’s office in Sioux City, Iowa.
Assistant U.S. Attorney George Leal prosecuted the case.
 

A Dallas federal jury convicted a man for mailing threatening communications and hoax biological weapons, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould.

Following a two-day trial and only one hour of deliberation, the jury convicted Donald Ray McCray, 67, of Dallas, on Wednesday, April 15, 2026, of three counts of mailing threatening communications to several United States District Court Judges in the Northern District of Texas and the Eastern District of New York, and one count of sending hoax biological weapons to the Fort Worth, Texas Federal Courthouse.

“Threats and disruptions to the orderly functioning of our federal courts will not be tolerated.  And anyone who threatens a NDTX federal judge or NDTX employee will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould.  “With this verdict, North Texas residents held the defendant accountable for his threats and attempts to undermine our judiciary.”

“The FBI takes threats to federal officials and courthouse personnel seriously. We would like to thank our state, local, and federal law enforcement partners who assisted in this investigation. This collaborative effort ensured that this offender was held accountable for threatening our judicial system,” said FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock.

According to evidence presented at trial, McCray, while incarcerated in a Texas state prison, sent multiple threatening letters containing white powder to the clerk of courts at the Fort Worth and Amarillo federal courthouses in March 2025. In those letters, McCray threatened to kill multiple state and federal government employees, including federal district court judges.  After being indicted in June 2025, McCray appeared at a hearing in federal court and made further threats against various government employees and district court judges.

The jury also heard evidence that when one of McCray’s threatening letters contained white powder was received at the federal courthouse in Fort Worth, it effectively shut down the courthouse and required a full HAZMAT response from multiple agencies before it could be rendered safe for its occupants and the public. Evidence at trial further established that in 2019, McCray was convicted in a Texas state court of threatening a Texas state judge under similar circumstances.  Among other exhibits, the government introduced McCray’s threatening letters, transcripts of the previous court hearing where he made additional threatening statements, and evidence related to the HAZMAT testing of the white powder sent by McCray.

McCray is set for sentencing on August 19, 2026, before U.S. District Judge Brantley Starr, who presided over the trial.  McCray faces up to 10 years in federal prison on each count of mailing threatening communications and up to five years in federal prison for the hoax biological weapons conviction.  He also faces a $250,000 fine.  

This case was investigated and coordinated by multiple agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Marshals Service, the U.S. Postal Inspectors Service, Ft. Worth Police Department, Ft. Worth Fire Department, Dallas County Department of Health and Human Services, Tarrant County Department of Public Health, the Texas Tech Biological Threat Research Laboratory, and the Texas Department of Criminal Justice Office of Inspector General.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Theodore Parran III and Chad E. Meacham prosecuted the case.
 

On April 13, 2026, the final defendant in a significant Lubbock, Texas methamphetamine trafficking organization was sentenced to 14 years in federal prison, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould.

Shawn Nichole Zatloukal was a member of a larger methamphetamine trafficking organization responsible for distributing large quantities of methamphetamine in the Lubbock area.  She and her codefendants, all of Lubbock, were indicted in August 2025 and all later pled guilty to methamphetamine trafficking charges. Zatloukal was sentenced on Monday this week by Fifth Circuit Judge Andrew S. Oldham, sitting by assignment.  The remaining defendants were sentenced by United States District Judge James Wesley Hendrix, who noted during co-defendant Jeremiah Arguijo’s sentencing hearing the staggering amount of drugs distributed by the organization.  All were sentenced to lengthy prison terms:

Jeremiah “Chris” Arguijo, 40, was sentenced to 360 months; Shawna Nichole Zatloukal, 55, was sentenced to 168 months; Christopher Alan Nagella, 59, was sentenced to 240 months; Adam “Adan” Casas, Jr., 52, was sentenced to 97 months; Benjamin “BJ” Hernandez, 46, was sentenced to 132 months; and
Nicholas James Westbrook, 45, was sentenced to 160 months.

“These lengthy prison sentences should serve as a warning of what lies ahead for those who distribute narcotics in the Northern District of Texas,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould. “We will be relentless in identifying and prosecuting drug traffickers, as we continue to focus on making the communities in which we live safer.”  

“These sentences underscore our commitment to holding drug traffickers accountable for the harm they bring to our communities,” said DEA Dallas Special Agent in Charge, Joseph B. Tucker. “The DEA Lubbock Resident Office and our law enforcement partners throughout the region will continue to aggressively pursue those that distribute this poison and never waver as we seek to protect the neighborhoods we call home.” 

According to court documents, the investigation lasted several months and culminated in the execution of multiple search warrants on July 22, 2025.  During these searches, agents located several pounds of methamphetamine, multiple firearms, and several thousand dollars in currency.  In total, agents seized over 4,200 grams of methamphetamine during this investigation, some of which is depicted below:

The Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Homeland Security Investigations, the Lubbock Police Department, the Lubbock County Sheriff’s Office, and the Texas Department of Public Safety conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean Long 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.
 

A former Shallowater ISD assistant band director was indicted by a federal grand jury for enticement of a minor after engaging in a sexual relationship with a female high school student, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould.

Joseph Macauley Gonzalez, 27, was charged by a federal criminal complaint in mid-March and indicted on April 8, 2026, for the federal offense of enticement of a minor.  He is set for an initial appearance on April 20, 2026, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Amanda Burch in Lubbock, Texas.

“Those who severely abuse trusted positions to prey on children, as this defendant is charged with doing, will be swiftly brought to justice,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould. “Our law enforcement partners’ diligent work uncovered the disturbing circumstances alleged in this indictment and complaint.  We will prosecute this case and others like it to the fullest extent.”

“The FBI’s partnerships with state and local law enforcement allow us to combine resources and collectively tackle crimes against children. We will continue to prioritize these investigations and support our partners in pursuing those who target the most vulnerable members of our community,” said FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock.

According to the complaint, in 2023, Gonzalez began developing a relationship with a female student under the age of 17, eventually using a school-approved app to exchange messages with her.  In the summer of 2025, Gonzalez obtained the student’s cell phone number and began using that and another platform to message her.  Beginning in October 2025, Gonzalez solicited the victim for nude photos and videos of herself and sent the victim nude photos of himself.  He also had sex with her in the Shallowater High School band hall on multiple occasions.  Court records reveal that Gonzalez’s cell phone contained explicit messages sent to the victim by Gonzalez.  The indictment charges Gonzalez with enticement of the victim to engage in sexual activity through March 12, 2026.

If convicted, Gonzalez faces a sentence of at least 10 years in federal prison up to life imprisonment.  He remains in custody pending further court proceedings.

FBI Dallas Field Office – Lubbock Resident Agency and the Texas Rangers conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean Long is prosecuting the case.

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

The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative, which was launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.  Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals, who sexually exploit children, and identify and rescue victims.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc.  For more information about internet safety education, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.” 
 

A Dallas federal jury convicted a Four Deuce Oakland Crips gang member of multiple drug trafficking and firearms crimes, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould.

Following a four-day trial, the jury convicted Jamarian Augustus Hewitt (a.k.a. “Zillionaire JJ”), 40, of Dallas, Texas, on Thursday, April 9, 2026, of trafficking cocaine and methamphetamine, conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, cocaine, and marijuana, two counts of firearm possession in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense, one count of using a cell phone in furtherance of a drug offense, and one count of illegal firearm possession by a convicted felon.

“The residents living and working in the Malcolm X Boulevard neighborhood had been living in fear due to the havoc wreaked by the Four Deuce Oakland Crip gang members’ criminal activities,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould.  “With this verdict, Hewitt has been held accountable and faces a potential lifetime sentence, which should restore a sense of peace to the Malcolm X Boulevard neighborhood.”

“Today’s verdict sends a clear and unequivocal message: those who choose to flood our neighborhoods with drugs and arm violent criminal enterprises will be held accountable,” said Special Agent in Charge Brian Garner of ATF Dallas. “By dismantling this trafficking network, Operation Blue Laces reflects the power of intelligence-driven investigations and strong law enforcement partnerships. ATF remains committed to targeting the most violent offenders and working alongside our partners to protect the citizens of Dallas.”

Court records reveal that Hewitt was one of several Four Deuce Oakland crip gang members charged as part of “Operation Blue Laces.”  Additional gang members were charged with numerous drug and firearm offenses, as well as carjacking.

According to court documents, in January 2024, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) agents initiated “Operation Blue Laces” to identify gang members who were engaged in criminal conduct along two main intersections within the Malcolm X Boulevard corridor of Dallas, Texas.  The operation, in part, addressed numerous complaints from residents living and working in the neighborhood who advised that Four Deuce Oakland Crip gang members had taken over the area and had created an environment of fear and lawlessness.

Evidence at Hewitt’s trial demonstrated that the gang members were using multiple storefronts and residences along the Malcolm X corridor to distribute cocaine, methamphetamine, PCP, marijuana, codeine and prescription drugs to customers daily.  Hewitt, a convicted felon, operated Zillionaire Exotic Pop, a storefront located at 3401 S. Malcolm X Blvd. in South Dallas, from which Hewitt sold quantities of methamphetamine, cocaine, and 200 to 300 pounds of marijuana per week.  He also sold codeine that was mixed with premium sodas referred to as “purple drank.”  Social media posts on an account linked to Hewitt were also presented to the jury.  Those posts contained images of Hewitt and a caption that read “I am a drug lord.”  Other posts advertised the sale of marijuana from his shop and promoted the activities of the Four Deuce Oakland Crip gang.

The jury also heard evidence that during a search of Hewitt’s business, agents recovered one kilogram of methamphetamine pills, distribution quantities of marijuana that Hewitt marketed as “Zillionaire Marijuana,” as well as multiple firearms.  Searches of other storefronts and gang member residences revealed multiple pounds of marijuana, kilogram quantities of PCP, distribution quantities of cocaine, more than two dozen firearms, and a live alligator.  Among other exhibits, the government introduced at Hewitt’s trial photos of pills and a firearm found during the investigation:

Hewitt is set for sentencing on August 12, 2026, before U.S. District Judge Brantley Starr, who presided over the trial.  Hewitt faces a sentence of at least 20 years to life in federal prison on the drug trafficking and firearms charges and a $10 million fine.

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.  

HSTF Dallas includes agents and officers from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Dallas Field Division and the Dallas Police Department, who conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rick Calvert and Ashley Koos of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas prosecuted the case.
 

Four defendants involved in a United States Postal Service bribery scheme were sentenced to a combined 99 months in federal prison, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould.

According to court documents, a former Senior Network Analyst for the United States Postal Service, Zechariah Yi, 52, of Aurora, Colorado, and a second USPS employee, Tai Ryoung Rho, 51, also of Aurora, Colorado, pled guilty to a bribery scheme in which they solicited and received approximately $1.5 million in kickbacks from the owners and associates of multiple trucking companies in exchange for agreeing to help the trucking companies obtain USPS service contracts worth approximately $15 million.

Wan Jin Yoon, 51, of Plano, Texas, and Hong Jin Yoon, 48, of Denver, Colorado, owned the trucking companies that obtained the USPS contracts under the bribery scheme.  Rho, Wan Yoon, and Hong Yoon each pled guilty to conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud.  Yi pled guilty to receiving a bribe by a public official.

On March 26 and March 27, 2026, U.S. District Judge Karen Gren Scholer imposed the following federal prison sentences: 

•    Yi was sentenced to 42 months
•    Rho was sentenced to 30 months
•    Wan Yoon was sentenced to 24 months
•    Hong Yoon was sentenced to 3 months

The defendants also agreed to forfeit two vehicles and more than $300,000 cash.  

“At the expense of the integrity and fairness of the government contracting process, these defendants resorted to bribery and corruption simply to line their own pockets,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould.  “The diligent work of our law enforcement partners led to a successful prosecution of these fraudsters by my office.  This outcome should serve as a warning to others contemplating such behavior, that we will hold every person accountable for fraud schemes of this nature.” 

“The public must have confidence that Postal Service employees will conduct their work in an honest manner,” said Kevin Cloninger, Executive Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General. “When employees commit serious offenses, such as taking bribes, they will be aggressively investigated and prosecuted by Special Agents with the USPS OIG. We thank our law enforcement partners in this case at the United States Attorney’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation for assuring that there is no place for public corruption anywhere within the Postal Service.”

“The defendants fraudulently secured a government contract in a scheme that involved paying kickbacks to government employees, who misused their positions of trust with the U.S. Postal Service for personal gain,” said FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock. “The FBI remains committed to holding accountable individuals that defraud the United States government.”

The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office and U.S. Postal Service, Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Marty Basu prosecuted the case.
 

A mother and son who are tax return preparers were federally indicted on March 24, 2026, for their roles in filing fraudulent tax returns with the IRS, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould.

According to the indictment, during the years 2020 through 2024, Jessie Badillo, 60, of Lancaster, Texas, and her son, Manuel Badillo, 37, also of Lancaster, allegedly conspired to file false tax returns through their businesses, JES Financial Service and Manny Financial Services located in DeSoto, Texas. The charges state that the fraudulent tax returns filed by the Badillos sought false refunds by fabricating itemized deductions, such as medical and dental expenses, and/or by fabricating businesses with large losses.

In addition to conspiracy to defraud the United States, Jessie Badillo was charged with 40 counts of aiding and assisting in the preparation of false tax returns as well as two counts of subscribing to her own false tax returns.  Manuel Badillo was charged with 25 counts of aiding and assisting in the preparation of false tax returns and one count of conspiracy.

If convicted, each defendant faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison on the conspiracy charge and a maximum penalty of three years in prison for each of the other charges.

“Tax preparers occupy a position of trust in our system.  We trust that they will accurately and honestly prepare tax returns.  When that trust is violated, through the fictitious creation of deductions and expenses, they don’t just fail their clients, they fail the American people,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould. “This is theft from the honest American taxpayer.  The indicted defendants are alleged to have done that, and we will vigorously prosecute this case and other tax cheats in North Texas.”

“During the filing season, it is especially important that taxpayers are able to trust their return preparers,” said Special Agent in Charge Christopher J. Altemus, of the Dallas Field Office, IRS Criminal Investigation. “Jessie and Manuel Badillo allegedly violated that trust in an attempt to line their own pockets. IRS-CI will continue to pursue return preparers who exploit their clients and undermine the tax system.”

IRS-Criminal Investigations conducted the investigation.  Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Ignacio Perez de la Cruz 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 IRS has published the Dirty Dozen Tax Scams for 2026. Those can be accessed here: Dirty Dozen Tax Scams for 2026.  
 

Three family members were sentenced today to prison following a jury trial that resulted in convictions for their roles in a multimillion-dollar tax refund fraud scheme. David Hunt was sentenced to 92 months in prison, his son Baylon Hunt was sentenced to 38 months in prison, and Baylon’s half-brother Corey Burt was sentenced to 94 months in prison for orchestrating a scheme to file tax returns in the names of purported trusts they controlled. A fourth family member who was also convicted at trial is scheduled to be sentenced in May.

According to statements made in court and evidence presented at trial, the Hunts, of Arlington, Texas, Burt, formerly of Long Beach, Mississippi, and another family member orchestrated a scheme to file tax returns in the names of purported trusts they controlled. In total, they sought more than $8.5 million in tax refunds that the trusts were not entitled to receive. As part of their scheme, Baylon Hunt and the other family member 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. David Hunt, Burt, and the other family member 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, the defendants were jointly ordered to pay $1,774,864 in restitution to the United States.

Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould for the Northern District of Texas made the announcement.

IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the case.

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.

A Levelland, Texas man who produced child sexual abuse material was sentenced to 60 years in federal prison, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould.

Camilo Reyes Castillo, 47, pled guilty in October 2025 to seven counts of production of child pornography.  He was sentenced on March 26, 2026, to 720 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge James Wesley Hendrix.

According to court documents, in early 2025, agents with the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) learned that Castillo was likely producing and trading child sexual abuse material online.  DPS investigated Castillo and his online presence and confirmed that he was involved in producing and sharing sexually explicit material involving young boys.  In June 2025, DPS executed a search warrant at Castillo’s residence in Levelland.  Court documents reflect that Castillo agreed to speak with agents.  Castillo claimed he “groped” the two male children over their clothes and recorded one of the children in the shower.  Agents searched the contents of Castillo’s cell phone and located approximately 170 photos and videos of child pornography in the deleted folder.  Amongst the files were seven videos of child pornography Castillo produced of the two male children he claimed he groped.  Date and timestamps from the videos revealed they were produced on March 11, 2025.  The videos depicted Castillo sexually abusing two male children, ages 9 and 12.  The children were identified and interviewed and described Castillo sexually abusing them.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation Dallas Field Office (Lubbock Resident Agency) and Texas Department of Public Safety conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Callie Woolam prosecuted the case. 

The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative, which was launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.  Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals, who sexually exploit children, and identify and rescue victims.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc.  For more information about internet safety education, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
 

An illegal alien from Mexico was federally charged with identity theft, voter fraud, and passport fraud for allegedly assuming the identity of an American citizen, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould.

Eliseo Morales-Tapia, 58, a citizen of Mexico residing illegally in the United States, was charged by federal complaint on March 20, 2026.  According to the complaint, Morales-Tapia obtained a Texas driver’s license, a Texas identification card, a social security card, and a United States passport, using the identity of another individual who resides in Chicago, Illinois.  Morales-Tapia is alleged to have presented the victim’s birth certificate, social security number, and other documents to obtain these identification documents.  Most recently, according to the complaint, in October 2025, Morales-Tapia checked “yes” to questions asking if he was a U.S. citizen and if he wanted to vote when he updated his address for the Texas driver’s license that he had obtained years earlier in the victim’s name.  As the complaint alleges, in 2025, Morales-Tapia also renewed the passport he had obtained in the victim’s name in 2015.  Additionally, according to the complaint, Morales-Tapia voted in an election in Tarrant County on November 5, 2024, utilizing the victim’s identity.

Morales-Tapia appeared before a United States Magistrate Judge on March 25, 2026, for an initial appearance on the charges.  He remains in federal custody pending further court proceedings.  If convicted, Morales-Tapia faces a maximum sentence of twenty years’ imprisonment, with up to five years’ imprisonment on each of the identity theft and voter fraud counts and up to ten years’ imprisonment on the passport fraud count.  

The Federal Bureau of Investigation Dallas Field Office investigated the case with assistance from the Diplomatic Security Service, the IRS, the Texas Department of Public Safety, the Frisco Police Department, and the Richardson Police Department.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Capoccia is handling the prosecution.

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.
 

A Fort Worth man who produced sexually explicit videos of two children was sentenced to 60 years in federal prison yesterday, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould.

Keith Plaskonos, 68, pled guilty on December 10, 2025, to an indictment charging him with two counts of using a child for the purpose of creating sexually explicit images.  According to court documents, in November 2023, DPS officers were dispatched to the Dallas Fort Worth Airport regarding a report that an adult male was looking at animated child sex abuse material on his cell phone.  The male was identified as Plaskonos.  After agents seized his cell phone and completed a forensic extraction of the contents, they found that Plaskonos used cellular phones in 2021 and 2022 to create sexually explicit videos of a female child approximately one years old and a second female child who was approximately four years old.  On March 26, 2026, United States District Judge Mark T. Pittman sentenced Plaskonos to 360 months per count to run consecutively, for a total of 720 months.  

The Federal Bureau of Investigation Dallas Field Office (Fort Worth Resident Agency) and the DFW Airport Department of Public Safety conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Aisha Saleem prosecuted the case.

The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative, which was launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.  Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals, who sexually exploit children, and identify and rescue victims.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc.  For more information about internet safety education, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.” 
 

Three family members were sentenced today to prison following a jury trial that resulted in convictions for their roles in a multimillion-dollar tax refund fraud scheme. David Hunt was sentenced to 92 months in prison, his son Baylon Hunt was sentenced to 38 months in prison, and Baylon’s half-brother Corey Burt was sentenced to 94 months in prison for orchestrating a scheme to file tax returns in the names of purported trusts they controlled. A fourth family member who was also convicted at trial is scheduled to be sentenced in May.

According to statements made in court and evidence presented at trial, the Hunts, of Arlington, Texas, Burt, formerly of Long Beach, Mississippi, and another family member orchestrated a scheme to file tax returns in the names of purported trusts they controlled. In total, they sought more than $8.5 million in tax refunds that the trusts were not entitled to receive. As part of their scheme, Baylon Hunt and the other family member 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. David Hunt, Burt, and the other family member 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, the defendants were jointly ordered to pay $1,774,864 in restitution to the United States.

Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould for the Northern District of Texas made the announcement.

IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the case.

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.

An illegal alien who allegedly hit a uniformed Deputy U.S. Marshal with his pickup truck while trying to flee the scene of a traffic stop in Dallas has been federally charged with assaulting a federal officer, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould.

Senel Galiano Sagastume, 43, a citizen of Guatemala illegally residing in the United States, was charged by federal complaint on March 24, 2026.  According to the complaint, officers initiated a traffic stop and had Sagastume pull to the side of the road. When Sagastume and his passengers refused to roll down the windows, officers breached the truck windows. Sagastume then allegedly put the Silverado in drive and accelerated toward a uniformed Deputy United States Marshal, wedging him between Sagastume’s truck and a law enforcement vehicle and causing bodily injury to the Marshal.  Sagastume’s actions also caused visible damage to the Marshal’s uniform, as depicted in the photos contained in the complaint:
 

As alleged in the complaint, Sagastume fled the scene to a Richardson, Texas apartment complex and ran inside an apartment. Officers arrested him following an hours-long standoff.

If convicted, Sagastume faces a sentence of up to 20 years in federal prison for the charge of forcibly assaulting a federal officer and inflicting bodily injury.  Sagastume appeared before a United States Magistrate Judge in Dallas on March 25, 2026, for an initial appearance on the charges.  He remains in federal custody pending further court proceedings.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation—Dallas Field Office and United States Marshal Service conducted the investigation.  The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas is handling the prosecution.

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.
 

A methamphetamine trafficker was convicted on March 18, 2026, by a federal jury in Amarillo, Texas, for his role in possessing and conspiring to distribute approximately $400,000 worth of methamphetamine, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould.  

Cameron Nesbitt, 33, of Lancaster, California, was indicted in late August 2025 for conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, after agents found almost 100 pounds of the drug in his rental vehicle during a traffic stop on August 2, 2025, in Oldham County, Texas, according to evidence at trial.  In the two-day trial that began on March 17, 2026, jurors heard testimony from a handful of law enforcement witnesses and considered over 40 exhibits supporting the charges against Nesbitt.  

“This defendant traveled in the Northern District of Texas with nearly a half-million dollars’ worth of methamphetamine in his vehicle,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould. “The astute work of DPS Troopers and DEA agents interrupted his plan to dump these dangerous drugs onto our streets, and the jury held him accountable.  Credit to the AUSAs in my office for trying a fantastic case.”

“Traffickers who exploit North Texas as a distribution hub for moving dangerous drugs across the United States will face the full weight of federal law,” said Joseph B. Tucker, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Dallas Field Division. “The DEA, alongside our state and local law enforcement partners, remains steadfast in our commitment to disrupting these criminal networks and protecting the communities we serve.”

Testimony and other evidence at trial established that a drug interdiction DPS trooper on patrol the morning of Saturday, August 2, 2025, stopped the vehicle in which Nesbitt was a passenger for speeding.  During his interactions with the driver and Nesbitt, the trooper noticed signs of drug trafficking, including: •    The vehicle was rented in Lancaster, California, and had been rented by a third party; •    The driver and Nesbitt informed the trooper that they were traveling from Lancaster to Atlanta to visit Nesbitt’s brother for a couple days, and gave conflicting stories about where they would be staying; •    The vehicle had a lived-in look and had energy drinks scattered throughout the vehicle; •    Both the driver and Nesbitt seemed very nervous.

Evidence at trial revealed that the rental car was also equipped with a dashcam mounted on the front and rear windshields, along with a receipt showing the camera was purchased from a Lancaster, California store the morning the vehicle was rented.  Agents testified that during the traffic stop, a drug canine alerted on the vehicle for narcotics.  During a subsequent search of the car, law enforcement agents found three duffle bags, one of which contained 15 bundles of methamphetamine.  The duffle bag holding the large bundles of methamphetamine still had a store tag attached.  The total weight of the methamphetamine was over 44 kilograms, or 97.26 pounds.  Testimony at trial established that the methamphetamine’s street value in the Amarillo area would be at least $400,000.  Prosecutors introduced photographs of the packaged methamphetamine during trial:

The driver of the vehicle, Johian Scott, 34, also of Lancaster, California, was arrested with Nesbitt that day and indicted along with Nesbitt in late August 2025.  Scott pled guilty in February this year to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine.

Nesbitt and Scott each face a minimum penalty of 10 years in federal prison and a maximum of life imprisonment.  Scott is set for sentencing on June 30, 2026, and Nesbitt is set for sentencing on July 21, 2026.  Both men will be sentenced before United States District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk who oversaw Nesbitt’s trial.

The Drug Enforcement Administration - Amarillo Resident Office, Texas Department of Public Safety, and Amarillo Police Department, with assistance from an investigator with the 47th Judicial District Attorney’s Office, handled the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ann Howey and Stephen Rancourt are prosecuting the case.
 

Prosecution is part of Homeland Security Task Force effort to combat transnational criminal organizations

An illegal alien from Mexico was sentenced to 40 years in federal prison for his top leadership role in distributing methamphetamine in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould.

In October 2024, Raymundo Bernal Saucedo (“Bernal”), 33, pled guilty to one count of possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and aiding and abetting.  He was sentenced on March 11, 2026, to 480 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Ada E. Brown.

“We are dismantling transnational drug trafficking networks in the Northern District of Texas through our indispensable partnership with Homeland Security Task Force agents,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould. “The lengthy sentence in this case is directly attributable to their diligent efforts, and we will continue to pursue the full measure of justice against those who traffic this poison in our communities."

“This sentence demonstrates that those who traffic dangerous quantities of methamphetamine into North Texas will be held accountable,” said Joseph B. Tucker, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Dallas Field Division. “The DEA, alongside our federal, state, and local partners remain committed to dismantling transnational criminal organizations and protecting our communities from this poison.”

“The Dallas Homeland Security Task Force remains focused on targeting transnational criminal organizations. The collaborative effort of the HSTF resulted in a significant sentence and the reduction of narcotics on our streets,” said FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock. “The FBI will continue to work with our partners to combat violent crime and drug trafficking in our communities.”

According to court records, Homeland Security Task Force Group One agents began investigating Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas area distribution cells affiliated with Michoacán, Mexico-based brokers, who arranged for an Arlington, Texas-area distribution cell to deliver two kilograms of methamphetamine to a DEA confidential source.  After the controlled purchase, surveillance, and the execution of a search warrant at a storage unit, agents seized 77 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine along with multiple firearms and a drug ledger.

Court records reflect that agents identified Bernal, a Mexican citizen illegally present in the United States, as the individual overseeing this local distribution cell, whose members were not only involved the distribution of bulk methamphetamine, but also included the conversion of liquid methamphetamine into its finished distributable form.  Bernal, himself, was actively involved in the conversion process acquiring pots, chemicals, buckets, and filler in addition to “cooking” the methamphetamine, and two weapons were recovered from his residence, which Bernal admitted in plea documents were used in furtherance of his drug trafficking offense.  According to court records, this investigation led to multiple federal wiretaps of Bernal’s and his coconspirators’ telephones.  In addition to Bernal’s involvement in the conversion and distribution of methamphetamine in the Dallas area, investigators also learned that Bernal was responsible for smuggling contraband into jail facilities in Tennessee.  All told, Bernal was held responsible for 1,946,000 kilograms of methamphetamine calculated as converted drug weight.

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.  HSTF Dallas Group One comprises agents and officers from the Drug Enforcement Administration, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Department of Homeland Security Investigations, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas (Dallas Division).
 

A man has been federally charged with assaulting a federal officer at Dallas Love Field Airport after he punched two TSA officers and seriously injured a Dallas police officer while attempting to proceed through security without identification, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould.

According to a federal complaint filed on Wednesday this week, Idress Vinay Solomon, 33, of Oakland, California, was ticketed for a Southwest Airlines flight to the Oakland International Airport in California on March 10, 2026.  Solomon approached the security checkpoint at Dallas Love Field Airport without any identification.  A Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officer directed Solomon to a different lane so that TSA could attempt to properly identify Solomon using TSA’s ConfirmID process.  When the process failed to verify Solomon’s identity, Solomon allegedly became verbally disruptive and aggressive.

“Violent conduct perpetrated against TSA and law enforcement officers will never be tolerated in the Northern District of Texas,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould.  “We will prosecute such offenses to the fullest extent to seek justice for the victims here and to deter others from resorting to aggressive attacks against officers responsible for ensuring the public’s safety while traveling.”

The complaint alleges that after the TSA officer called for a supervisor because of Solomon’s escalating behavior, Solomon punched him in the back of the neck.  Dallas Police Department officers were present in the main lobby and responded to the disturbance to assist TSA.  Solomon then allegedly punched one of the Dallas Police Department officers multiple times in the face, causing a serious orbital blowout fracture to his left eye that required him to seek treatment from an ophthalmologist at Parkland Hospital.

As alleged in the complaint, Solomon next punched a second TSA officer multiple times before additional Dallas Police Department officers subdued Solomon.  Surveillance video at Dallas Love Field captured Solomon’s alleged assaults of the officers, as depicted below in still shots from the video:

Solomon was eventually handcuffed and arrested. As a uniformed Dallas Police Department officer attempted to put Solomon into a police vehicle, Solomon deliberately spit saliva onto the officer’s right arm, according to the complaint.  Throughout the incident, Solomon allegedly refused to follow lawful verbal commands and continued to yell and pull away from officers even after he was handcuffed.

If convicted, Solomon faces a sentence of up to 20 years in federal prison for the charge of forcibly assaulting a federal officer and inflicting bodily injury.  Solomon remains in custody pending further court proceedings.

TSA, the FBI, and DPD conducted the investigation.  The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas is prosecuting 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.
 

Nine North Texas Antifa Cell operatives were convicted today by a federal jury in Fort Worth, Texas for their roles in rioting, using weapons and explosives, providing material support to terrorists, obstruction, and attempted murder of an Alvarado police officer and unarmed correctional officers at the Prairieland ICE Detention Center on July 4, 2025, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould.  

In a 12-day trial that began on February 23, 2026, jurors heard testimony from more than 45 witnesses and considered over 210 exhibits supporting the charges against nine indicted defendants: Cameron Arnold, a/k/a Autunm Hill, Zachary Evetts, Benjamin Song, Savanna Batten, Bradford Morris, a/k/a Meagan Morris, Maricela Rueda, Elizabeth Soto, Ines Soto, and Daniel Rolando Sanchez-Estrada.  Seven others, Seth Sikes, Nathan Baumann, Joy Gibson, Susan Kent, Rebecca Morgan, Lynette Sharp, and John Thomas, pled guilty last year to one count of providing material support to terrorists.

“Antifa is a domestic terrorist organization that has been allowed to flourish in Democrat-led cities — not under President Trump,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Today’s verdict on terrorism charges will not be the last as the Trump administration systematically dismantles Antifa and finally halts their violence on America’s streets.”

“These guilty verdicts and convictions rightly reflect the vicious, armed attack that these Antifa cell members planned and executed against law enforcement and detention center officers on the night of July 4 last year,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould. “Their terrorist acts, attempted murder, vandalism, and explosives launched at a detention facility were a far cry from some 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, sixteen people have been brought to justice 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 verdict shows 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 calculated, violent attack at ICE’s Prairieland facility was an abhorrent way for antifa terrorists to ‘protest’ the way this agency enforces the law — but these verdicts make clear that those who choose violence over lawful expression will face the full force of the American justice system,” said ICE Director Todd M. Lyons. “The men and women who serve at these facilities deserve to do their jobs without facing intimidation or violence. Let today’s outcome serve as a warning: Those who target federal officers with intimidation, ambush tactics or political violence will be investigated, prosecuted and held accountable.” 

“The coordinated attack on the Prairieland Detention Center required a whole of government approach from the initial response throughout the investigation and trial. The FBI’s JTTF led this collective effort resulting in convictions and guilty pleas by those who committed violent acts against our law enforcement partners,” said FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock. “I want to thank all the law enforcement agencies that collaborated with us on this investigation. Our collective goal remains to ensure the safety and security of our communities in North Texas.”

“This case marks a historic moment as it represents the nation’s initial federal indictment targeting a coordinated group of Antifa cell members engaged in violent criminal activity,” said HSI Dallas Special Agent in Charge Travis Pickard. “The charges demonstrate our unwavering commitment to confronting domestic terrorism and protecting our communities from organized threats.”

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, 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 for gunshot wounds to the scene of the attack.  Many of these items were introduced by the government as exhibits.  Additionally, 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 Prairieland, 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, the 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 Prairieland 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 jury convicted the nine defendants of the following offenses:

• Riot (Count 1), 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, Ines Soto
• Providing Material Support to Terrorists (Count 2), 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 (Count 3), and Using and Carrying an Explosive (Count 4), 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 (Count 7), involving the unlawful attempt to kill with malice aforethought the Alvarado Police Officer.
  • Defendant convicted: Song
• Discharging a Firearm During, and in Relation to, and in Furtherance of a Crime of Violence (Counts 8, 9, and 10), i.e., the attempted murder of two correctional officers and an Alvarado Police Officer.
  • Defendant convicted: Song
• Corruptly Concealing a Document or Record (Count 11), 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 (Count 12) and other objects that would implicate Maricela Rueda in the riot and shooting at the Prairieland facility.
  • Defendants convicted: Sanchez Estrada and Maricela Rueda

Song faces a minimum penalty of 20 years and a maximum of life imprisonment. Arnold, Evetts, Morris, Rueda, Batten, Elizabeth Soto, and Ines Soto each face a sentence ranging from a minimum of ten years up to sixty years in federal prison.  Sanchez Estrada faces up to 40 years in federal prison.

The sole count of providing material support to terrorists to which Baumann, Gibson, Kent, Morgan, Sharp, Thomas, and Sikes pled guilty, 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.

Sentencing hearings for the sixteen defendants are pending in front of United States District Judge Mark Pittman, who oversaw the trial.

The investigation was conducted by the FBI—Dallas, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), ATF, the Texas Department of Public Safety, the Alvarado Police Department, and the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Frank Gatto, Shawn Smith, and Matt Capoccia prosecuted the case.

A Lubbock man responsible for trafficking thousands of pounds of methamphetamine into the Lubbock area was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould.

Jeremiah “Chris” Arguijo, 40, of Lubbock, Texas, was indicted in August 2025 and pled guilty in November 2025 to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.  He was sentenced on March 6, 2026, to 360 months in federal prison by United States District Judge James Wesley Hendrix.

According to court documents, on July 22, 2025, federal agents executed search warrants at multiple locations in the Lubbock area Arguijo used to traffic drugs.  They located several pounds of methamphetamine and items associated with large scale drug trafficking, some of which is depicted below: 

Court records reflect that Arguijo was located near one of the search locations.  He attempted to flee using a vehicle and then on foot, but was quickly captured and placed under arrest.
At the sentencing hearing, the court noted the staggering amount of drugs involved.  Over a 12-month period, Arguijo was responsible for trafficking more than 1,200 pounds of methamphetamine, or 100 pounds per month.

Five other individuals charged along with Arguijo have all pled guilty for their roles in methamphetamine trafficking.  Adam Casas, Jr. was sentenced in February 2026 to 97 months by Judge Hendrix.  The remaining codefendants will be sentenced in the coming weeks.

The Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Homeland Security Investigations, the Lubbock Police Department, the Lubbock County Sheriff’s Office, and the Texas Department of Public Safety conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean Long 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.
 

A previously convicted felon who opened fire on Abilene Police Department officers after leading them on a high speed chase was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould.

Austin Tabor Heuermann, 32, of Abilene, Texas, was indicted by a federal grand jury in September 2025 for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.  Heuermann pled guilty to the charge in November 2025 and was sentenced to 180 months’ imprisonment on March 6, 2026, by United States District Judge James Wesley Hendrix, who also ordered him to pay $4,019.26 in restitution.

Court records reflect that on August 13, 2025, around 3:40 p.m., Heuermann fled from Abilene Police officers who tried to stop him for a traffic violation and an outstanding state warrant. Heuermann ran through several stop signs and sped toward multiple active school zones.  Given the high risk to public safety, officers stopped pursuing.  Shortly thereafter, officers located Heuermann’s empty vehicle hidden under a tarp.

According to information presented in court, officers tracked Heuermann to a home in another area of Abilene.  Other occupants exited the home at the officers’ direction, but Heuermann refused. Seconds after the last occupant exited, Heuermann shot through the house to the outside. Officers simultaneously observed debris from the wall immediately in front of them fly up into the air. Officers then retreated, and the Abilene Police Department’s Special Weapons and Tactics (“SWAT”) team arrived.

Court records show that Heuermann refused to surrender for hours, despite the presence of more than 10 SWAT members and negotiators at the home stationed in the armored SWAT Bearcat vehicle.  Refusing to obey SWAT personnel commands to come out, Heuermann opened the front door twice.  He first looked outside and shut the door.  After opening the door again, Heuermann pointed a firearm and shot at the Bearcat, striking and partially shattering the Bearcat’s windshield directly above the driver’s head.

According to plea documents, after Heuermann surrendered, officers entered the home and recovered a stolen grey Century Arms, Canik 9mm pistol with spent shell casings on the floor. Heuermann admitted that he was a convicted felon and that he possessed and fired the firearm that day.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Abilene Resident Agency – Dallas Field Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives – Fort Worth, and the Abilene Police Department conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Schrauth prosecuted the case.
 

A Dallas-area man was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for distributing narcotics, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould.

Victor Manuel Gaona, 29, pled guilty in July 2024 to one count of possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine.  He was sentenced on Tuesday, March 5, 2026, to 240 months in federal prison by United States District Judge Ada E. Brown.

According to court documents and statements made at sentencing, Gaona admitted that on or about June 18, 2024, federal agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration executed a search warrant at a residence on Ben Hur Street, Dallas, Texas, which agents had previously linked to drug-trafficking activity associated with Gaona and co-defendants Omar Castro-Sandoval and Epifanio Flores Magana.  During the search, agents located a clandestine methamphetamine recrystallization laboratory in the residence’s back room along with two minor children residing at the 952-square foot location.  The clandestine laboratory contained liquid, intermediate-stage, and finished methamphetamine along with a propane tank, large burner, sieves, gloves, and large Ziploc baggies.  Additional finished methamphetamine was also found in a bedroom shared by Gaona and Flores Magana.  Heroin, which was bagged for distribution, was located in a utility closet underneath children’s luggage.

Court records reflect that Gaona was ultimately held responsible for nearly 100,000 kilograms of narcotics calculated in converted drug weight.  Co-defendant Castro-Sandoval, who was present at the time of the execution, was sentenced by Judge Brown to 168 months imprisonment on January 20, 2026.  Co-defendant Flores Magana’s sentencing is scheduled for April 14, 2026.

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.  HSTF Dallas comprises agents and officers from the Drug Enforcement Administration with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas.

A Lubbock woman was sentenced to 17 years in federal prison for fraudulently obtaining, forging, and cashing Texas Medicaid checks payable to a former health worker for her quadriplegic son, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould. 

Judy Terecia Sanchez, 60, was sentenced to 204 months’ imprisonment on February 19, 2026, by United States District Judge James Wesley Hendrix, after Sanchez pled guilty in July last year to one count of bank fraud. Judge Hendrix also ordered Sanchez to pay restitution of $227,377 to Texas Health and Human Services.

“The defendant inflicted unimaginable suffering on her son by fraudulently pretending he received the care he needed and deserved,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould.  “Justice in the form of this lengthy prison sentence is deserved for the defendant’s callous exploitation of her son’s tragic condition for her own gain.”

“This sentencing was the culmination of a tremendous team effort, and I would like to thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the FBI and the Texas Office of Attorney General Medicaid Fraud Control Unit for their hard work and dedication in seeing that justice was served,” said Texas HHS Inspector General Raymond Winter, whose agency initiated the investigation. “This case was about something much more troubling than fraud; it was about a severely disabled young man who was deprived of services paid for by taxpayers. Ms. Sanchez received more than $200,000 under false pretenses—monies intended to provide professional help for her own quadriplegic son to perform basic functions that most of us take for granted. Instead, her son went without for more than six years while she stole taxpayer dollars and lied about it. I hope today’s sentencing serves as a potent reminder that Texans will not tolerate this behavior and that the pursuit of justice will be relentless.”

Court records reflect that Sanchez’s son suffered a debilitating injury that left him severely disabled, bed-ridden, blind, non-verbal, non-mobile, and breathing via a tracheostomy.  These disabilities made him wholly dependent on others for all of his needs and qualified him for home health care through the Texas Medicaid program.  In 2015, Sanchez selected a certified nurse aide to assist with her son’s bathing, toileting, repositioning in bed, hygiene care, and restorative activities.  According to court documents, the nurse aide resigned after approximately two weeks, but Sanchez did not replace her with another aide to provide her son’s care.  Instead, for the next six years, Sanchez falsified time sheets as if the nurse aide was still caring for her son and submitted the time sheets to Medicaid for payment.  Sanchez directed Medicaid to mail the checks – each of which were payable to the nurse aide—to a post office box controlled by Sanchez.  Sanchez then forged and cashed the checks.

According to information presented at sentencing, Sanchez’s fraud was discovered when her son was found in an extreme state of neglect and misery toward the end of his life after Sanchez left him unattended. During the investigation, an EMS worker stated that, in her nine-year career, she had never seen a living person in such a state.  When imposing the 17-year sentence, Judge Hendrix observed that Sanchez’s fraud had prevented qualified Medicaid care for her son and noted details about his condition, involving pus-filled bed sores and a severe maggot infestation covering his body.

The Office of the Texas Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office—Lubbock Resident Agency, and Texas Health and Human Services conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Ann Howey prosecuted the case.  
 

A Lubbock man and chapter president of the Bandidos Motorcycle Club was federally charged for his role in possessing large quantities of methamphetamine for distribution, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould.

Steven Glenn Ryals, 74, of Lubbock, Texas, also known as “Hot Tub,” was charged by federal complaint on March 2, 2026, with possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.  Ryals appeared before a United States Magistrate Judge in Lubbock that same day for his initial appearance on the charges.  He remains in federal custody pending further court proceedings.  If convicted, Ryals faces a statutory maximum sentence of twenty years in federal prison.

According to the complaint, in early 2025, law enforcement agents initiated an investigation into Ryals, who was the Banditos Notorious Chapter President, and other Banditos members suspected of methamphetamine trafficking the Lubbock area.  On February 27, 2026, law enforcement agents executed a search warrant for the Banditos Notorious clubhouse, which was also Ryals’s residence.  Inside an office, agents located approximately 3.2 pounds of suspected methamphetamine inside a locked drawer of a wooden filing cabinet.  Next to the cabinet was another cabinet containing Ryals’ BMC paraphernalia, as depicted below:
 

In other areas of the office, agents found multiple items commonly used in the distribution of controlled substances, including numerous small plastic baggies, digital scales, and a concealed compartment located inside a bookshelf.

This investigation was a joint operation of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Lubbock Texas Anti-Gang Center, and Caprock Hi-Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA).  The Texas Anti-Gang Center 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 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 multi-convicted felon who is a Crips gang member was sentenced to more than 20 years in federal prison for drug and gun charges, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould.

In September 2025, Christopher Jamiel Love, 46, of Dallas, Texas, pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance (cocaine and phencyclidine (PCP)) and one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense.  On Monday, March 2, 2026, he was sentenced to 248 months in federal prison by United States District Judge David Godbey.

Court records reflect that in January 2024, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosive (ATF) agents initiated “Operation Blue Laces” to identify gang members who were engaged in criminal conduct along two main intersections within the Malcolm X Boulevard corridor of Dallas, Texas.  According to court documents, “Operation Blue Laces” was initiated in part to address numerous complaints from residents living and working in the neighborhood that advised that Four Deuce Oakland Crip gang members had taken over the area and had created an environment of fear and lawlessness.  Members and associates of the Four Deuce Oakland Crips wore jewelry and clothing that depicted the number “42” to show their allegiance to the gang, as depicted in the images below:
 

ATF agents identified multiple storefronts within the area that were operated by gang members and used to store numerous firearms and distribute drugs to customers.  Agents also identified a residential block (2800 block of Casey Street) that was used as an open-air drug market where drugs were sold twenty-four hours a day by gang members and became known as the “Dead End.”

In court documents, Love admitted that throughout 2024, he and another Four Deuce gang member utilized a residence located on the 3600 block of Malcolm X Boulevard, Dallas, Texas, to store quantities of Schedule I and Schedule II controlled substances that were later sold to customers on the “Dead End” by Love and others. On October 22, 2024, law enforcement agents executed a search warrant at the residence and seized 210 grams of cocaine; 4.6 kilograms of phencyclidine (PCP); 9.8 grams of methamphetamine; 1.4 grams of heroin; one kilogram of K2; multiple kilograms of marijuana and four firearms used in furtherance of the drug conspiracy, depicted in the following images:
 

To date, ten defendants linked to the Four Deuce Oakland Crips gang that were identified in “Operation Blue Laces” have pled guilty to federal offenses including drug conspiracy, firearms charges and carjacking.

The investigation was conducted by ATF-Dallas Division and the Dallas Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Rick Calvert prosecuted the cases.

This investigation is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.  Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department's OCDETFs and Project Safe Neighborhoods.
 

A Waxahachie man who coordinated a SIM card-swapping fraud scheme was sentenced today to 70 months in federal prison, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould.

Kimionte Bennett, 30, was indicted in July 2025 and pled guilty in October 2025 to conspiracy to commit wire fraud.  He was sentenced today to 70 months in federal prison by Chief U.S. District Judge Reed O’Connor, who also ordered Bennett to pay $1,769,438 in restitution.

According to court documents, Bennett facilitated multiple “SIM swap” attacks, whereby Bennett and his co-conspirators gained control over their victims’ cell phone numbers by temporarily re-assigning the victims’ phone numbers to a SIM card controlled by Bennett or his co-conspirators. After conducting the “SIM swap,” Bennett and his co-conspirators used that phone access to intercept the multi-factor authentication codes, and used these codes to illicitly access the victims’ cryptocurrency accounts—from which Bennett’s co-conspirators would steal cryptocurrency from the victims.  

In total, court records reflect that Bennett and his co-conspirators were responsible for an actual loss of $1,769,438 sustained by the various victims of this SIM card-swapping fraud scheme.

At the sentencing hearing, one victim said, “These weren’t just digital numbers on a screen; they represented my family’s savings, our future security, our dreams. I had planned to use that money to build a stable future for my [child]—[their] education, our home, our peace of mind.  In an instant, it was all gone.  Coming from a family whose parents came to this country with cheap plastic suitcases, and zero money, it was absolutely devastating . . . In an instant, that same American dream that my parents worked so hard to build, and continued through me, vanished.”

Two of Bennett’s co-conspirators, Leticia Contreras and Osvaldo Guajardo, were also prosecuted in related cases for participating in Bennett’s fraud scheme. Contreras, 30, of Dallas, Texas, was sentenced to 57 months in federal prison. Guajardo, 31, of Houston, Texas, was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison.

FBI Omaha Field Division, FBI Dallas Field Division, Polk County Sheriff’s Office, FBI Detroit Field Division, and FBI Cyber Division conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eric B. Chen, Matthew Weybrecht, and Justin Beck prosecuted the case.
 

A Sheppard Air Force Base Airman who traveled to Colorado to kidnap and sexually abuse a child was sentenced to life in federal prison, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould.

Travis Robert Larson, 24, of Denton, Texas, was indicted in August 2025.  He pled guilty in November 2025 to one count of enticement of a minor and one count of sexual abuse of a minor, and was sentenced on February 27, 2026, by Chief United States District Judge Reed O’Connor.

According to court documents, on May 4, 2025, a father notified the Colorado Springs, Colorado Police Department that his 14-year-old daughter was missing.  The father told authorities that he had located the child’s phone and found messages indicating that Larson had been communicating with the child and had discussed driving to Colorado to pick up the child and bring her back to Texas. 

Law enforcement officers located surveillance footage of Larson picking up the child, identified in court documents as “Minor Victim 1,” and tracked his vehicle traveling from Texas to Colorado Springs and back during the late evening hours of May 3 to May 4, 2025.

Court records reflect that Larson was an active member of the United States Air Force and was stationed at Sheppard Air Force Base in Wichita Falls, Texas.  On the evening of May 5, 2025, the USAF Security Forces Squadron recovered the child near Larson’s dorm room on SAFB.  The child disclosed that Larson began communicating with her online when she was just 10 or 11 years old, and that she would send Larson sexually explicit images of herself at Larson’s request.  The child disclosed that her online relationship with Larson lasted several years until Larson eventually discussed coming to visit her in person.

According to court documents, the child disclosed that Larson had traveled twice to Colorado Springs to meet her for sex, including picking her up from her home in late April 2025 and driving to a nearby park, where he sexually abused her.  Later, on May 3, 2025, Larson again traveled from Texas to Colorado to have sex with the child.  Text messages between Larson and the child indicate that Larson promised to bring the child alcohol and described his desire to have sex with the child and to resort to violence, if necessary.

Court documents further reflect that around 3:30 a.m. on May 4, 2025, Larson picked up the child from her Colorado Springs residence and drove to a nearby park, where he had sex with the child.  Instead of driving the child back to her residence, Larson then drove the child, against her will, back to Texas.  On the morning of May 4, 2025, Larson and the child were captured on surveillance footage at the Buc-ee’s gas station in Amarillo, Texas.  Later that day, Larson hid the child in the trunk of his vehicle in order to sneak her onto SAFB and conceal her in his dormitory room.  Larson sexually abused the child multiple times inside his dormitory before she was recovered by law enforcement.  A search of Larson’s phone revealed notes with the child’s name, date of birth, and social media accounts, indicating that Larson was aware the child was just 14 years old.

The Colorado Springs Police Department, Air Force Office of Special Investigations, the Texas Department of Public Safety, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office – Wichita Falls Resident Agency investigated the case.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Allyson Monte and Stephen Rancourt prosecuted the case.

The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative, which was launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.  Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and identify and rescue victims.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc.  For more information about internet safety education, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”

An Anson man was charged with attempted enticement of a minor after arranging to meet a purported 15-year-old girl, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould.

Ervin Joe Campbell, 63, was charged by a federal criminal complaint and arrested on February 26, 2026, for the federal offense of attempted enticement of a minor.  He made his initial appearance yesterday before U.S. Magistrate Judge John R. Parker.

“The collaborative efforts of our law enforcement partners took another alleged would-be predator from our streets,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould. “This case highlights the importance of devoting resources to unearth sex trafficking in the Northern District of Texas.  We will continue to vigorously investigate and prosecute these cases.”

According to the complaint,  Ervin Joe Campbell allegedly attempted to persuade, induce, entice, or coerce an individual he believed to be fifteen years old to engage in prostitution and sexual activity for which any person can be charged with a criminal offense. As alleged, on February 25, 2026, the Texas Department of Public Safety Criminal Investigation Division, Homeland Security Investigations, the Abilene Police Department, and the Texas Attorney General’s Office conducted an undercover chat operation in Abilene, Texas, targeting the solicitation of prostitution and child predators.  During the operation, AG Investigators posed as minors, aged fifteen and sixteen, via an undercover account.  The account posted on Facebook Marketplace as “Massage and Fun.”  Campbell allegedly contacted the account and agreed to pay $200 for sex with a person he believed to be a 15-year-old girl. 

The complaint alleges that Campbell sent a picture of himself and stated he was 60 years old.  After being told that the person he was communicating with was fifteen, Campbell replied, “I could get in trouble,” followed later by “I’m not a cop, are you?”  The undercover investigator informed Campbell that her sixteen-year-old friend was available as well and provided the price of $500.00 for sexual intercourse with both girls.  The messages exchanged between the undercover investigator and Campbell included:
 

According to the complaint, Campbell arrived at a prearranged meeting place with two condoms and $652.00 cash.  Officers also found a cellphone on which Campbell had saved the undercover investigator’s number as “15.”

If convicted, Campbell faces a sentence of at least 10 years in federal prison up to life imprisonment. He remains in federal custody pending detention and preliminary hearings on March 3, 2026, before U.S. Magistrate Judge John Parker in Abilene, Texas.

Homeland Security Investigations Abilene Division, Texas Department of Public Safety Criminal Investigations Division in Abilene, the Abilene Police Department, and the Texas Attorney General’s Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Whitney James is prosecuting the case.

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

A Dallas man was sentenced to 75 months in federal prison for stealing more than a million dollars from investors through a concert promotion scheme, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould.

Carlos Desean Goodspeed, 45, of Dallas, Texas, pled guilty to wire fraud in October 2025 after a federal grand jury indicted him in 2024 for obtaining funds from unwitting investors to whom he falsely represented that he was a concert promoter who would use their funds to purchase concert and event tickets and suites in order to resell them for a profit.  On February 18, 2026, United States District Judge Ed Kinkeade sentenced Goodspeed to 75 months in federal prison.  He also ordered Goodspeed to pay nearly $1.2 million in restitution to seventeen victims of Goodspeed’s fraud scheme.

Court records reveal that Goodspeed operated a business under the assumed name “Straight Like That Entertainment,” and held himself out as a promotor for concerts and events involving high-profile artists and entertainers, including, for example, Tyler, the Creator, Ludacris, Beyonce, Nicki Minaj, Bad Bunny, and Future, none of whom were involved in or knew about Goodspeed’s fraud scheme.  

With respect to one of his victims, Goodspeed admitted in plea documents that he solicited an investment that was to be used to purchase concert tickets and suites for a series of Tyler, the Creator shows, and the investor would receive a return on their investment once the shows took place.  The victim wired Goodspeed a total of $180,000 pursuant to partner agreements outlining the terms of the investments.  Though the shows took place, Goodspeed did not pay the victim as promised.  Goodspeed admitted that he instead used the victim’s investments, without the victim’s knowledge or consent, for personal expenses, including rental payments at an upscale apartment complex, a purchase at a high-end retail store, and airline fees and hotels.  He also admitted that he used some of the victim’s money to pay other investors to continue concealing his scheme.

Three victims testified at Goodspeed’s sentencing hearing and detailed their financial and emotional sufferings as a result of Goodspeed’s scheme.  One victim testified that she used part of an inheritance to invest with Goodspeed in hopes of being able to pay medical bills for a family member diagnosed with cancer.  Goodspeed did not pay her back as promised, and she was forced to take out loans and use credit cards to pay funeral expenses when her family member passed away.

“Victims are often defrauded of life savings and suffer devastating economic and personal harm because of investment fraud schemes like this one,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould.  “Seeking lengthy prison time for defendants and restitution judgments on behalf of those victimized in these cases remain top priorities for my office.”

“The FBI remains committed to investigating those who take advantage of our communities through investment fraud schemes. We encourage the public to thoroughly research investment opportunities and to contact us immediately if they suspect fraud,” said FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock.

While on pretrial release before his guilty plea, Goodspeed’s conditions of pretrial release were revoked and he was taken into custody in July 2025 after a United States Magistrate Judge found probable cause to believe Goodspeed committed a criminal fraud violation and also, in contravention to his conditions, continued to solicit and receive new investments.  He remains in federal custody to serve his sentence of imprisonment.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation – Dallas Field Office.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Renee Hunter prosecuted the case.
 

An illegal alien from Mexico, previously convicted of drug trafficking, sexual abuse of a child, and theft of a firearm, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for illegally reentering the United States, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould.

Ivan Hernandez-Ortiz, 36, residing in Dallas, Texas, was indicted in March 2023 and pled guilty in October 2025 to illegally reentering the United States after he was last deported by immigration authorities in 2020.  On Tuesday, February 24, 2026, U.S. District Judge Ada Brown sentenced him to 120 months in federal prison.

According to evidence presented at sentencing, Hernandez-Ortiz illegally entered the United States approximately five times, was granted voluntary return on three occasions, and was formally removed twice.  Previously, he was federally prosecuted for illegal reentry into the United States in the Southern District of Texas in 2015 and was sentenced to 70 months in federal prison.  

Court records reflect that Hernandez-Ortiz was also convicted of six other felonies, including drug trafficking, firearm theft, and sexual abuse of a child—the victim of which was a 15-year-old female recognized during a traffic stop by Dallas Police Department officers as a child identified on a bulletin as missing and potentially being sex trafficked.  Evidence at sentencing revealed that Hernandez-Ortiz previously admitted to being in a dating relationship with the victim and that she was pregnant with his unborn child.  For the current illegal reentry offense, the lead prosecutor sought the maximum sentence allowed by statute, and the Court agreed.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement conducted the investigation. Special Assistant United States Attorney Marbel Leonel Munoz prosecuted the case.
 

A Texas Tech University marketing and supply chain management professor and two others were federally charged for their roles in a fentanyl distribution conspiracy, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould.

Daniel Taylor, 50, of Lubbock, Texas, was charged by federal complaint on February 18, 2026, with conspiracy to distribute or possess with intent to distribute fentanyl. Taylor is an assistant professor of marketing and supply chain management with Texas Tech’s Rawls College of Business.  Also charged are Alisha Red-Eagle, 21, and Mackenzie Gilcrease, 28, both of Lubbock.

According to the complaint, Taylor distributed two variations of fentanyl powder:  one called “Pink Flamingo” and the other called “Ghost.”  The complaint alleges that Taylor has been under investigation for drug distribution over the last several months.  Specific instances of alleged drug activity include January 12, 2026, when law enforcement agents saw Alisha Red-Eagle enter and exit Taylor’s vehicle at a Lubbock convenience store, and then Red-Eagle entered a white SUV that left the location.  When a Lubbock County Sheriff’s Deputy stopped the SUV for a traffic violation, the SUV’s occupants—which included Red-Eagle—advised that a male in the back seat was overdosing on suspected fentanyl supplied by Red-Eagle.  Narcan and EMS services were administered.  While searching the SUV, officers found five fentanyl pills, a clear baggie containing fentanyl, five aluminum foil wrappers containing fentanyl residue, and a pink baggie containing fentanyl powder.

“Instead of focusing on teaching students supply chain management, the defendant, as alleged, was developing and implementing his own supply chain of lethal fentanyl into the streets of Lubbock,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould.  “As alleged, at least in one instance, the fentanyl the defendant peddled through his drug trafficking organization caused an overdose.  We hope the students of Texas Tech and the Lubbock community understand that my office will vigorously prosecute drug dealers and drug traffickers no matter if you are a professor or a street level dealer.” 

“This arrest underscores the stark and troubling irony that an individual entrusted with educating others instead chose to distribute one of the deadliest drugs facing our communities today,” said DEA Dallas Field Division Special Agent in Charge Joseph B. Tucker.  “While this conduct is in no way reflective of Texas Tech University, it highlights that fentanyl trafficking can emerge from any corner of our society, and DEA, alongside our federal, state, and local partners, remains committed to identifying and holding accountable those who choose to profit from this poison.”

The complaint further alleges that on the evening of February 17, 2026, agents saw Mackenzie Gilcrease meet Taylor at his residence, enter and exit his apartment, and leave the location in a pickup truck.  A Lubbock County Sheriff’s Deputy stopped the truck for a traffic violation and identified Gilcrease as the driver and sole occupant.  After a K-9 alerted to the vehicle for the odor of narcotics, deputies searched the truck and found three pink plastic baggies of fentanyl inside of a pink envelope that contained a pink flamingo graphic.  They also found a pink plastic baggie containing methamphetamine.  Just after midnight on February 18, 2026, law enforcement agents executed a search warrant for Taylor’s home, locating multiple quantities of white powder and a crystal-like substance that tested positive for methamphetamine, along with pink envelopes, plastic baggies with pink flamingo stickers, and baggies containing a ghost graphic.

All three defendants appeared before a United States Magistrate Judge in Lubbock this morning for initial appearances on the charges.  They remain in federal custody pending further court proceedings.  If convicted, each defendant faces a statutory maximum sentence of twenty years in federal prison.

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 United States Attorney Stephen Rancourt is prosecuting 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.

A former Fort Worth, Texas resident was sentenced to five years in federal prison for his role in fraudulently obtaining unemployment benefits from the United States Department of Labor, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould.

Mark Alan Valles, 51, previously of Fort Worth, Texas, pled guilty in October 2025 to the federal offense of conspiring to steal government funds.  On February 20, 2026, Chief U.S. District Judge Reed O’Connor sentenced Valles to 60 months in federal prison.  He also ordered Valles to pay $407,724 in restitution to the U.S. Department of Labor and the Small Business Administration.

“This defendant exploited government programs and stole funds intended to aid Americans during a critical economic period in this country,” said U. S. Attorney Ryan Raybould.  “I applaud the diligent work of our law enforcement partners in uncovering the fraud scheme and seeing justice done in this case.”

“Mark Valles conspired with others to defraud the Texas Workforce Commission, U.S. Government, and the American taxpayers in an unemployment insurance fraud scheme that enriched himself at a time when millions of Americans desperately needed the money,” stated Anthony P. D’Esposito, Inspector General, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General. “My office is committed to protecting the integrity of the unemployment insurance program by vigorously pursuing those who commit this type of fraud. Fraud will not be tolerated. Accountability is not optional.”

Court documents indicate that from approximately April 2020 through September 2021, Valles and others conspired to unlawfully use stolen personal identifying information of at least 44 victims to fraudulently obtain unemployment insurance funds administered by the Texas Workforce Commission (“TWC”) and funded by the U.S. Department of Labor (“DOL”).  Valles and his coconspirators used the stolen information to fill out false applications claiming a total of $899,719 in benefits to be loaded onto to debit cards.  They directed the associated debit cards to be mailed to a physical address accessible by Valles or others, retrieved the debit cards from the particular address, and withdrew cash from multiple ATM machines at banks in Fort Worth and the surrounding areas. Valles caused a loss to the government of more than $407,000.

The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Department of Labor-Office of Inspector General, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security–Office of the Inspector General.   Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark McDonald prosecuted the case.
 

A man who sexually abused a 10-year-old child in the presence of the child’s younger sister was sentenced to 50 years in federal prison, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould.

Leandro Rodriquez, Jr., 44, of Plainview, Texas, was indicted in May 2025.  He pled guilty in October 2025 to enticement of a minor and was sentenced today by United States District Judge James Wesley Hendrix.

According to court documents, in March 2025, the legal guardian of the victim, “Jane Doe,” made a report of suspected sexual abuse involving Rodriquez, the boyfriend of Doe’s biological mother.  Doe and her younger sister had recently been allowed to stay overnight with their mother and Rodriquez at a residence in Plainview.

Doe’s guardian discovered messages on Doe’s phone instructing her where to meet once Doe’s guardian left for work.  Doe’s guardian questioned Doe about the messages, and Doe told her guardian that the messages were from Rodriquez.  Doe was later interviewed by law enforcement and disclosed that Rodriquez had sex with her when Doe and her sister had stayed with their mother.  Doe stated that her little sister was present during the abuse.  Doe also disclosed that, following the abuse, Rodriquez asked Doe to send him a video of Doe engaging in a sexual act, “‘cause he taught me how.”

Doe’s younger sister was also interviewed by law enforcement.  Doe’s sister confirmed that she witnessed Rodriquez having sex with Doe while their mother was away from the residence.

Law enforcement seized Rodriquez’s cell phone and obtained a search warrant.  A search of the phone revealed several sexually explicit images of Doe along with messages from Rodriquez instructing Doe to leave her residence and meet up with him.  Law enforcement also found a video of Rodriquez and Doe cuddling while Doe told the camera that they are “happily married.”

The Plainview Police Department investigated the case with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office – Lubbock Resident Agency and the Department of Homeland Security.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Rancourt prosecuted the case.

The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative, which was launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.  Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and identify and rescue victims.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc.  For more information about internet safety education, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”

An illegal alien from Mexico, twice convicted of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, was sentenced to 57 months in federal prison for illegally reentering the United States, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould.

Pedro Garcia Lopez, 45, was indicted in June 2025 and pled guilty in September 2025 to illegally reentering the United States after he was last deported by immigration authorities in 2008.  He was sentenced on Monday, February 2, 2026, to 57 months in federal prison by United States District Judge Sam Lindsay.

Evidence presented at sentencing revealed that Garia Lopez’s criminal history dates back to 2008, when he was convicted of burglary of a habitation. Subsequently, he committed two violent attacks resulting in state convictions for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon in 2018 and 2025, for which he received sentences of 3 years’ imprisonment.

U.S. District Judge Lindsay ordered Garcia Lopez’s state and federal sentences to run consecutively.

Homeland Security Investigations conducted the Investigation.  Special Assistant United States Attorney Marbel Leonel Munoz prosecuted the case.

An illegal alien from Mexico, removed from the United States 17 times and convicted of aggravated sexual assault, was sentenced to 90 months in federal prison for illegally reentering the United States, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould.

Cesar Carapia-Hernandez, 42, was indicted in July 2024 and pled guilty in September 2025 to illegally reentering the United States after he was last deported by immigration authorities in 2022.  He was sentenced on Thursday, February 5, 2026, to 90 months in federal prison by United States Senior District Judge Jane Boyle.

Evidence presented at sentencing highlighted Carapia-Hernandez’s extensive immigration and criminal history.  Carapia-Hernandez illegally entered the United States approximately 17 times, was granted voluntary return to Mexico on 11 occasions, and was formally removed six times.  He was federally prosecuted three times for illegal entry into the United States and three times for illegal reentry into the United States.

According to the information presented in court,in 2024, Carapia-Hernandez was convicted of aggravated sexual assault after he forcibly entered a victim’s home, assaulted her at knifepoint, and threatened to return and kill her and her child if she alerted law enforcement.  He was sentenced to seven years’ imprisonment for that offense.

U.S. Senior District Judge Boyle ordered Carapia-Hernandez’s state and federal sentences to run consecutively.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement conducted the investigation.  Special Assistant United States Attorneys Shelby Davitt and Marbel Leonel Munoz prosecuted the case.

An illegal alien was sentenced to 45 years in federal prison for child exploitation involving a 12-year- old boy, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould.

Julio Chavez, a citizen and national of El Salvador who was in the United States illegally, was convicted of one count of production of child sex abuse material and one count of receipt of child sex abuse material in August 2025.  On February 11, 2026, United States District Judge Brantley Starr sentenced Chavez to 540 months in federal prison.

“The defendant exploited a young boy’s innocence and vulnerability,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould.  “I am glad the district court judge sentenced the defendant to over 40 years in federal prison for his heinous crimes.  We will continue to work tirelessly to ensure that the most vulnerable and innocent in our North Texas communities are protected from being exploited by sexual predators.”

“The significant sentence imposed on the defendant sends a clear message that crimes against children will not be tolerated. The FBI will continue to work to protect the children in our communities and hold child predators accountable,” said FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock.

During the sentencing hearing, court records detailed how Chavez groomed his 12-year-old victim, ultimately convincing the child to send a sexually explicit video to Chavez.  Chavez also possessed hundreds of images and videos of child sexual abuse material on his cellular telephone.

After Chavez serves his sentence, he faces the possibility of deportation and exclusion from the country.

FBI Dallas and the Irving Police Department handled the investigation.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Marissa Aulbaugh.

The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative, which was launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.  Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and identify and rescue victims.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc.  For more information about internet safety education, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”

A Mansfield woman who produced sexually explicit videos of a child pled guilty to four counts of sexual exploitation of children this week, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould.

Marisa Witkop, 31, was indicted on the charges by a federal grand jury in October last year.  For each count, she faces a minimum of 15 years and a maximum of 30 years in federal prison, for a total maximum sentence of 120 years’ imprisonment.  According to court documents, Witkop produced four videos of a nine-year-old child, some of which she distributed using a social media application.  Sentencing is scheduled for June 9, 2026, in Fort Worth before Senior United States District Judge Terry R. Means.

The U.S. Secret Service and Mansfield Police Department handled the investigation.  The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas, Fort Worth Division, is prosecuting the case.

The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative, which was launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.  Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and identify and rescue victims.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc.  For more information about internet safety education, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”

Five individuals were federally indicted this week for their roles in an alleged $220 million nationwide fraud scheme involving purported cattle purchase contracts, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould.

Those indicted by a Fort Worth federal grand jury on February 11, 2026, were:

• Jed Wood of Fort Worth, Texas, charged with three counts of wire fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and one count of money laundering involving wiring more than $63,000 to a lender for “Home Payoff”
• Joshua Link of Strafford, Missouri, charged with ten counts of wire fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and two counts of money laundering, including wiring more than $527,000 to purchase real property
• Tia Link of Smithton, Missouri, charged with three counts of wire fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and one count of money laundering, including wiring more than $527,000 to purchase real property
• Taylor Bang of Kildeer, North Dakota, charged with eight counts of wire fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and one count of money laundering
• Royana Thomas of Arlington, Texas, charged with six counts of wire fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and one count of money laundering

“Thousands of unwitting investors, ranchers, and others in the cattle industry nationwide were drawn in and victimized by the defendants’ multi-million dollar scheme alleged in this indictment,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould.  “My office, in concert with our law enforcement partners, will hold these defendants accountable and pursue justice on behalf of the victims.”

“The defendants allegedly used false promises to lure prospective clients into their scheme and then misappropriated client funds to enrich themselves. One individual, Joshua Robert Link, remains a fugitive. We are asking the public to contact the FBI if they have any information regarding Link’s location,” said FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock.

As alleged in the indictment, each of the defendants were associated with Agridime LLC, a business headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas that offered cattle sales and meat processing and retail services to the public.  Jed Wood served as the Operations Director.  Joshua Link served as the Executive Director.  Tia Link served as the Marketing Director.  Taylor Bang served as a cattle broker, and Royana Thomas served as the financial controller.

The indictment alleges that, from January 2021 through December 2023, the five defendants, acting through Agridime, perpetrated a fraud scheme in which they falsely represented to individual cattle purchasers, cattle ranchers, and feedlots that Agridime would use their funds to purchase specific individual cattle for each victim, raise the cattle, and eventually sell the meat from the same specific individual cattle for a profit.  In reality, as the indictment charges, the defendants did not use victim funds as promised and instead used newer cattle purchaser funds to pay Agridime operating expenses, pay funds owed by Agridime to earlier cattle purchasers, pay personal expenses, and purchase real property. 

As alleged, the defendants fraudulently collected more than $220 million from over 2,200 individual victims located throughout the United States due to fraudulent misrepresentations the defendants made in public and private advertising statements.

If convicted, the defendants face up to twenty years in federal prison on each wire fraud count for which they were indicted as well as twenty years’ imprisonment for the charged wire fraud conspiracy.  Additionally, the defendants face up to ten years’ imprisonment for each money laundering count in which they are charged.

Tia Link and Taylor Bang appeared for arraignment before a United States Magistrate Judge in Fort Worth today.  Both were released under pretrial supervision.  Jed Wood and Royana Thomas are set to appear for arraignment in Fort Worth before a United States Magistrate Judge on February 25, 2026.

Joshua Robert Link remains a fugitive. The FBI requests that the public contact the FBI with any information regarding Link’s location.

https://www.fbi.gov/wanted/wcc/joshua-robert-link

The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Fort Worth Resident Agency conducted the investigation, with assistance from the USDA-OIG.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark McDonald is prosecuting the case.

An indictment 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 large-scale fentanyl trafficker in Abilene, Texas, was sentenced to life in federal prison this week, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould.

Kurtney Bernard Jones, of Abilene, was convicted in August 2025 by a federal jury in Abilene of two counts of distribution and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and one count of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl.  On February 5, 2026, United States District Judge James Wesley Hendrix sentenced Jones to life imprisonment.

“The scale of this drug trafficking organization and this defendant’s leadership of it warrants a life sentence,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould.  “Our law enforcement partners took down a massive fentanyl distribution ring over a 2-year operation.  I applaud their collaborative efforts together with the prosecutors in my office in successfully removing these dangerous drugs and those peddling them from the Abilene community.”

“The defendant’s role in a drug trafficking organization that distributed a large quantity of narcotics into Abilene and the surrounding area warrants the life sentence that was 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 drug trafficking organizations and protect our communities from the threat of dangerous drugs.”

“This life sentence reflects the seriousness of fentanyl trafficking and our continued commitment to protecting communities from those who profit by distributing deadly drugs,” said DEA Dallas Field Division Special Agent in Charge Joseph B. Tucker.  “This case highlights the strength of our partnerships with federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies working together to hold dangerous traffickers accountable and keep our communities safe.”

Evidence presented in court demonstrated that Kurtney Jones, also known as “KP,” was responsible for distributing large quantities of fentanyl, methamphetamine, and heroin in the Abilene area. 

Court records show that in December 2023, Jones assumed control of a drug trafficking organization (DTO) that distributed drugs in Abilene and the surrounding counties.  He formed a relationship with a drug supplier in Dallas, Texas.  He organized the transport of a total of 42,000 fentanyl pills, 140 grams of heroin, 1.3 kilograms of methamphetamine, another 4,600 grams of fentanyl to the Abilene.  While running the DTO, Jones threatened rival dealers and trafficked firearms.  When arrested, he possessed 452 grams of fentanyl and $225,994.25 in cash.  Agents also discovered that Jones possessed a pill press, capsules to make pills, and another 318.95 grams of heroin.

Jones’s prosecution was part of “Operation Top Shelf.”  This was a comprehensive narcotics investigation that involved seven separate local and federal law enforcement agencies.  Agents performed two separate “takedowns.”  The first takedown occurred in February of 2024 and involved more than 80 agents and officers from the 7 collaborating agencies.  Court records reflect that over the course of the first takedown operation, agents seized 29 kilograms of methamphetamine, 721 grams of cocaine, 1,370 grams of fentanyl, and 60 firearms. Seventeen methamphetamine and cocaine traffickers were arrested and indicted.

The second takedown occurred in September of 2024.  Agents arrested and indicted 12 fentanyl traffickers, including Jones. 

After the takedowns, opioid overdose rates fell sharply in Abilene.  https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndtx/pr/after-takedown-opioid-overdose-rates-fall-abilene.

With Jones’s sentencing this week, all 31 traffickers charged in “Operation Top Shelf” have been sentenced.  In total and excluding Jones, the Court sentenced the defendants to 4,328 months, which amounts to over 360 years of federal prison time.  Those sentences include:

• Kurtney Bernard Jones: sentenced to life imprisonment for possessing with intent to distribute and distributing fentanyl and conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl.
• Rafael Perez: sentenced to 360 months’ imprisonment for distribution and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
• Diana Nichole Perez, aka Diana Santana: sentenced to 292 months’ imprisonment for distribution and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
• Eddie Ochoa Lomas: sentenced to 240 months’ imprisonment for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
• Tylik Ojur Johnson: sentenced to 210 months’ imprisonment for distribution of fentanyl and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.
• Nathaniel Deal: sentenced to 262 months’ imprisonment for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.  
• Lisa Ann Beckham: sentenced to 204 months’ imprisonment for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.  
• Angel Alvarez: sentenced to 200 months’ imprisonment for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.  
• Orson Rolando Ortegon: sentenced to 188 months’ imprisonment for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
• Joshua Gosson: sentenced to 180 months’ imprisonment for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.  
• Marquee Anthony Aboso, aka “OC”: sentenced to 175 months’ imprisonment for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl.
• Hannah Rai Gongora, aka Hannah Alvarez: sentenced to 172 months’ imprisonment for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
• Laura Trevino: sentenced to 156 months’ imprisonment for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.  
• Alexandrea Delgado: sentenced to 151 months’ imprisonment for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.  
• Petra Soliz: sentenced to 151 months’ imprisonment for distribution and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.  
• Juan Manuel Oliveros, Jr.: sentenced to 150 months’ imprisonment for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.  
• Jeremiah Greene, aka “Lil Mexico”: sentenced to 132 months’ imprisonment for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl.
• Bradley Kirk Gutierrez: sentenced to 121 months’ imprisonment for distribution and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.    
• Jimmy Rangel: sentenced to 120 months’ imprisonment for distribution and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.    
• Gloria Santibanez: sentenced to 114 months’ imprisonment for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.  
• Jason Eugene DeLeon: sentenced to 108 months’ imprisonment for distribution and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
• Steven Lattimore, aka “PNut”: sentenced to 103 months’ imprisonment for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.
• Mckenzee Marie Lane: sentenced to 102 months’ imprisonment for distribution of fentanyl and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.
• Joseph Brassell: sentenced to 96 months’ imprisonment for possession to distribute fentanyl.  
• Robert Lee Mason: sentenced to 96 months’ imprisonment for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl.
• Glen Edward Lee, Jr.: sentenced to 70 months’ imprisonment for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.
• Maxine Gonzales: sentenced to 63 months’ imprisonment for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl.
• Christopher Thompson: sentenced to 54 months’ imprisonment for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.
• Jacob Lee DeLeon: sentenced to 27 months’ imprisonment for distribution and possession with intent to distribute cocaine.
• Paul Eli Snyder: sentenced to 21 months’ imprisonment for distribution and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.
• Christopher Anthony Glaze: sentenced to 10 months’ imprisonment for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. 

The operation involved agents and officers from DEA Fort Worth, FBI Dallas Field Office - Abilene Resident Agency, Homeland Security Investigations, ATF Dallas, IRS – Criminal Investigations, the Taylor County Sheriff’s Office, the Abilene Police Department, and the Callahan County Sheriff’s Office.

This prosecution was part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative. 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.

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas handled the prosecution.

A North Texas man who threatened to assault and murder the United States President and unnamed ICE agents was federally indicted on Tuesday this week, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould.

Francisco Jesus Mena, 36, of North Richland Hills, Texas was indicted by a federal grand jury on February 3, 2026, on ten counts of threatening a federal official.   Mena was previously arrested on a federal complaint for this offense and made his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Harold R. Ray, Jr. on January 7, 2026.  Mena is set to appear for an arraignment on the charges in the indictment on February 11, 2026.  If convicted, he faces up to 96 years in federal prison.

“Any threat against the President, federal officials, and agents will be thoroughly investigated and swiftly prosecuted,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould.  “Some individuals falsely believe that they are immune from criminal penalties by posting vitriol online and not in person.  The diligent work of our law enforcement partners time and again uncovers those attempting to hide behind a computer screen.”

“The FBI takes online threats to federal officials and law enforcement seriously. Using online platforms to threaten the lives of others does not insulate an individual from consequences. We are committed to thoroughly investigating these crimes,” said FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock. “We ask that the public continue to remain vigilant and report suspicious online activity to law enforcement.”

According to the indictment, on several occasions in May 2025, Mena allegedly posted threats on a social media platform, including:  
 

The indictment details other instances of Mena’s alleged violent rhetoric.  

FBI Dallas Field Office - Fort Worth Resident Agency and U.S. Secret Service investigated the case.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Weybrecht is prosecuting the case.

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

Two of five defendants in a Lubbock drug-trafficking ring were sentenced to 19 and 20 years in federal prison today for their roles in distributing fentanyl and methamphetamine, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould.

Adam Whitehead Baber, 45, of Lubbock, was sentenced to 228 months in federal prison.  He pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl in October 2025.  Jessica Clauson, 43, of Lubbock, was sentenced to 240 months in federal prison.  She pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl in September 2025.

Three others charged as part of the drug trafficking ring include:

•    Sean Burns, 43, of Lubbock, was sentenced in December 2025 to 204 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl in August 2025.  
•    Charles Srnek, also known as “Dreds,” 38, of Lubbock, was sentenced to 360 months in federal prison in December 2025 after pleading guilty in August 2025 to one count of possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine (actual).
•    Kiyle Jackson, 33, of Lubbock, was sentenced to 60 months in federal prison in December 2025 after pleading guilty in August 2025 to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.

Court documents reflect that beginning in early 2024, the defendants conspired to travel out of state to purchase massive quantities of fentanyl to distribute in Lubbock.  The investigation revealed that the defendants would purchase up to 10,000 fentanyl pills at a time, which they referred to as “yachts” of fentanyl.  In total, the group was found responsible for distributing over 100,000 fentanyl pills and 20 pounds of methamphetamine in Lubbock.

According to court records, in January 2024, Baber and Burns were arrested in New Mexico with 1,669 fentanyl pills (184.5 grams) destined for Lubbock.  Later, in May 2024, agents executed a search warrant at the Lubbock home of defendants Clauson and Srnek and found 568 grams of fentanyl, 625 grams of methamphetamine, and four firearms.  In July 2024, Jackson was caught with 140 fentanyl pills during a traffic stop.  

United States District Judge James Wesley Hendrix sentenced each of the defendants.

Agents with the Lubbock, Texas Anti-Gang (TAG), the Drug Enforcement Administration, Caprock High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA), Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Texas Department of Public Safety, Lubbock Police Department, and Lubbock County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.  Assistant United States Attorney Stephen Rancourt prosecuted the case.
 

A man in Dallas, Texas was federally charged with attempted interference of commerce by robbery after allegedly shooting a security guard who was servicing a bank ATM in Balch Springs, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould.

Laroyce Antoine Lambert was charged by federal complaint with the offense of attempted interference of commerce by robbery on February 5, 2026.  According to the complaint, Lambert attempted to rob an armored car while the security guard was servicing a Chase Bank ATM located at 2329 Lake June Road, Balch Springs, Texas.

As described in the complaint, during the robbery, Lambert approached the security guard with a firearm and demanded access to the money located at the ATM he was servicing.  After the guard informed Lambert that he could not access the money in the ATM, Lambert fired three shots at the guard and fled on foot through a fence. The security guard suffered multiple gunshot wounds and was transported to the hospital.  According to the complaint, footage from the security guard’s body worn camera captured Lambert with a firearm in his hand, pointed at the guard:
 

Court documents reflect that responding agents and officers with the Balch Springs Police Department and Dallas FBI Violent Crime Taskforce were able to obtain footage of Lambert fleeing the scene and entering a Dodge Charger to make his escape. The FBI worked in conjunction with the Fort Worth Police Department and Dallas Police Department to locate the Dodge Charger and tracked Lambert and the vehicle to an apartment in Fort Worth, Texas.  Once located, the Fort Worth Police Department arrested Lambert.  

“The swift apprehension of this individual is a testament to the tireless work and collaboration of our federal, state, and local partners.  The FBI Violent Crimes Task Force and our local partners identified the perpetrator within hours of the horrific shooting,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould.  “This should serve as a warning to violent offenders in North Texas: we will find you and swiftly bring you to justice.”  

“The FBI Dallas Violent Crimes Task Force worked alongside the Balch Springs Police Department, Dallas Police Department, Fort Worth Police Department, Mesquite Police Department and other law enforcement partners to investigate this robbery and brutal attack on an armored vehicle driver. This collaboration among multiple agencies and members of the public resulted in a swift arrest,” said FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock. “We will continue our work to hold this perpetrator accountable and remain committed to protect the residents of North Texas.”

“Our community was shaken by this senseless act of violence. I am relieved that a suspect has been apprehended and there is no ongoing threat to the public,” said Brent Hurley, Chief of the Balch Springs Police Department. “I want to thank our agency partners — including the FBI, Texas Rangers, Mesquite Police Department, Dallas Police Department, Mesquite Fire Department, and our own Balch Springs officers — for their professionalism and swift action that led to this arrest. Our thoughts remain with the victim, their family, and all affected by this incident.”

Lambert is currently in federal custody following an initial appearance on February 6, 2026, before a United States Magistrate Judge.  If convicted, he faces a statutory maximum sentence of twenty years in federal prison.

The Dallas FBI Violent Crime Taskforce, ATF Dallas, Balch Springs Police Department, Fort Worth Police Department, Dallas Police Department, Mesquite Police Department, and Texas Rangers conducted the investigation, with assistance from the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Robert Withers and Jeremy Fugate.

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

Two Arlington men were sentenced to a combined 80 years in federal prison for their roles in sex trafficking a juvenile female who had been reported as a runaway and to whom they supplied fentanyl, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould.

Jamal Howard, 52, was sentenced to 600 months on January 30, 2026, for Sex Trafficking Through Force Fraud and Coercion, Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl, Distributing Fentanyl to a Person Under 21, and Conspiracy to Launder Monetary Instruments.  Renaldo Rojas, 27, was sentenced to 360 months for Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl and Distributing Fentanyl to a person under 21 on January 15, 2026.  Both men were indicted in June 2025 and pled guilty to the charges in October 2025.

“Tragically, sex trafficking and drug trafficking are nearly always intertwined, escalating the horrific harm to victims in these cases,” said United States Attorney Ryan Raybould.  “I applaud the tremendous work of HSI and Arlington Police Department that led to the victim’s rescue in this case.  We embrace the difficult work removing prolific traffickers from our community’s streets and continue to pursue justice to the fullest extent against these types of offenders.”

“This intensely gratifying 50-year sentence reflects the seriousness of Howard’s crimes and the unwavering commitment of law enforcement to protect our children and our communities,” said HSI Dallas Special Agent in Charge Travis Pickard. “The outcome is the result of outstanding teamwork and dedication from our agents, the Arlington Police Department, and our federal partners. Let this sentence serve as a warning: Those who traffic minors and distribute deadly narcotics will be brought to justice and face the full consequences of their actions.”

According to plea documents, in late July 2024, a minor female had been reported as a runaway to the Arlington Police Department.  Rojas provided the minor with fentanyl and sent Howard, a known trafficker, photos of the minor, offering to connect Howard with the minor in exchange for fentanyl.  After providing bags of fentanyl pills to Rojas, Howard transported the minor victim to his apartment, supplied her with fentanyl, had her photographed, and posted commercial sex advertisements for the victim on a website used for engaging in commercial sex transactions.  Court records show that Howard trafficked the victim to several individuals in late July through August 1, 2024.  Howard also distributed fentanyl to Rojas during this period.  Communications found on Howard’s phone reflect messages with Rojas discussing fentanyl transactions totaling more than 5,000 fentanyl pills.

On August 1, 2024, members from the North Texas Trafficking Force, including agents from Homeland Security Investigations and the Arlington Police Department, recovered the minor victim in an apartment in Arlington, Texas, along with evidence of Howard’s large-scale fentanyl distribution to Rojas and others.  

Two additional individuals were convicted and sentenced for their roles in Howard’s drug trafficking activity.  Elnora Jordan, 63, of Arlington, Texas, pled guilty in October 2025 to conspiring to launder monetary instruments related to proceeds generated from Howard’s fentanyl sales.  According to plea documents, Jordan accepted payments from Howard’s fentanyl customers using an app on her phone, transferred the funds to her bank account, and withdrew cash that she gave to Howard.  She was sentenced on February 3, 2026, to 21 months in federal prison.  Court records further reflect that Yolanda Gonzales, 23, of Hurst, Texas, was sentenced to twelve months in federal prison on January 22, 2026, after pleading guilty in October 2025 for using her cellphone to communicate with Howard about purchasing and distributing fentanyl.  United States District Judge Mark T. Pittman sentenced each of the defendants.

Homeland Security Investigations - Dallas and the Arlington Police Department conducted the investigation. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Allyson Monte.