Three individuals face charges following a significant cocaine seizure intended for the Houston area and northern states, as announced by U.S. Attorney Nicolas J. Ganjei.
Pablo Luis Fuentes-Rivas, 40, from Baytown, Efren Pinales-Hernandez, 51, from Weslaco, and Daniel Teniente-Marfileno, 39, an undocumented immigrant living in Houston, appeared in Houston and will be moved to Brownsville for further legal action.
The charges state that in the early hours of March 29, law enforcement observed the suspects at a Baytown truck lot transferring a large quantity of narcotics from a semi-tractor trailer to another vehicle. As Teniente-Marfileno left with the cocaine, law enforcement executed a traffic stop, seizing the substance. Fuentes-Rivas and Pinales-Hernandez were apprehended while attempting to exit the truck lot.
According to reports, the narcotics weighed 182.25 kilograms with an estimated street value of nearly $2.3 million.
The defendants are charged with possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance and conspiracy to distribute it. If found guilty, they could face life imprisonment and a potential $10 million fine.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation, which targets drug trafficking groups and criminal networks in the United States through coordinated efforts by federal, state, and local agencies. More information on OCDETF is available on the Department of Justice's website.
The investigation was led by the Drug Enforcement Administration and Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations, with support from the Texas Department of Public Safety, Houston Police Department, Cameron County Sheriff’s Office, and Baytown Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Oscar Ponce is handling the prosecution.
It is important to note that a criminal complaint is a formal accusation and not evidence; defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.