HOUSTON – A federal grand jury has indicted 15 suspected Houston gang members for their roles in a drug-trafficking operation that allegedly used a taco truck and the United States mail to deliver narcotics.
Federal indictment
The indictment alleges that all 15 were part of an organization that trafficked methamphetamine, powder cocaine, crack cocaine, heroin, oxycodone, Xanax, psilocybin mushrooms, and marijuana. They are suspected of running many drug houses and a food truck to store illegal substances and facilitate drug transactions.
The investigation began in April 2022, according to the indictment.
What are they saying?
“As alleged, this drug trafficking organization imported methamphetamine directly from Mexico and distributed and sold methamphetamine and other dangerous drugs through the United States mail, a taco truck, and homes in various Houston neighborhoods,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Several of the defendants are also accused of using firearms in furtherance of their drug trafficking and illegally possessing firearms despite having previously been convicted of felonies. “The Criminal Division, in collaboration with our federal, state, and local partners, will work tirelessly to combat the scourge of drug trafficking in communities.”
The indictment claims that in June 2023, officials seized 29 kilograms of methamphetamine that one defendant attempted to transfer into the United States.
The 29-count indictment was announced on May 22, following the arrest of nine people for suspected involvement in the drug-trafficking enterprise.
Suspect gang members are identified.
Houston residents James Michael Brewer aka ‘Creeper’, 33, Jonathan Alvarado aka ‘Joker’, 28, Alexis Delgado aka ‘Chino’, 28, Hector Luis Lopez aka ‘Capulito’, 23, Kylie Rae Alvarado, 24, Ruby Mata, 31, Victor Norris Ellison, 35, Mexi Dyan Garcia aka ‘Mexi’, 31, and Jesus Gomez-Rodriguez aka ‘Jr.’, 33, made their initial appearances in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas May 22 when the indictment was unsealed.
Enzo Xavier Dominguez, nicknamed ‘Smiley’, 32, William Alexander Lazo, aka ‘Miclo’, 21, and Alfredo Gomez, aka ‘Fredo’, 26 have also been charged. They are currently in jail and are scheduled to make their first appearances soon.
Three other people accused of being involved in the scheme are still at large, with arrest warrants out for Mexican national Jose Francisco Garcia-Martinez aka ‘Paco’, 29, Guatemalan national Marcos Rene Simaj-Guch aka Taco Man, 41, and Jose Eduardo Morales aka ‘Primo’, 22.
Except for Simaj-Guch, who faces up to 40 years in prison, the remaining defendants might face life in prison if convicted. Brewer, Alvarado, Lopez, Gomez, and Ellison have also been charged with firearm charges, which carry a maximum sentence of 15 years.
What are they saying?
“For years, the transnational criminal organization allegedly operated by these gang members has brazenly flooded our local communities with deadly narcotics,” stated Chad Plantz, Special Agent in Charge of ICE HSI Houston. “Working in conjunction with the Houston Police Department and our Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces partners, we were able to expose and dismantle their drug trafficking scheme, eliminating a significant contributor to violent crime in the area and saving an untold number of Houstonians from becoming addicted.”