Over 30 individuals have been sentenced to federal prison following a comprehensive investigation into drug trafficking in the Eastern District of Texas. This announcement was made by Acting U.S. Attorney Abe McGlothin, Jr.
The investigation, which began in 2019, focused on individuals involved in trafficking methamphetamine into and through East Texas. By February 2025, more than 30 people had been sentenced for offenses such as conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking crimes, among other related charges. The efforts led to the dismantling of a drug trafficking organization operating between Mexico, Houston, Angelina County, Tyler County, and other regions.
Among those sentenced were Jesus Sanchez-Rueda from Houston who received 360 months; Jesse Canseco also from Houston with 292 months; Oscar Negrete from Humble with 68 months; Adolfo Lopez-Lemus from Houston with 57 months; Ryan Canseco from Houston with a total of 180 months including a firearms violation; Jason Thompson from Lufkin with a total of 295 months including a firearms violation; Krista Thompson from Lufkin with a total of 155 months including a firearms violation; Rogers Williams from Houston with 135 months; Edgar Reyes from Houston with 57 months; Edwin Galicia from Houston with 150 months; Joel Hernandez Jr. from Humble with 57 months.
Additional sentences included Matthew Rogers from Houston receiving 70 months and Robert Rogers from Woodville receiving a total of 180 months including a firearms violation. Dustin Dauzart was sentenced to 140 months while Everett Charles Lutz and Amanda Jane Lorentz both received sentences of 235 months each.
Other individuals such as Kevin Edward Hughes received sentences ranging between several years up to over two decades depending on their involvement in the conspiracy.
This operation is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) initiative aimed at identifying and dismantling high-level criminal organizations that pose threats within the United States through coordinated multi-agency efforts led by prosecutors using intelligence-driven approaches.
The case was investigated by multiple agencies including the Federal Bureau of Investigation-Lufkin, Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives U.S., Drug Enforcement Administration Angelina County Sheriff’s Office Lufkin Police Department Harris County Sheriff’s Office Houston Police Department Texas Department Public Safety-Criminal Investigations Division among others under prosecution guidance provided by Assistant U.S Attorney Lauren Gaston.
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