Austin Meth & Coke Ring Busted: 21 Face Federal Charges

AUSTIN, TX – Twenty-one individuals are facing federal charges following a massive takedown of a cocaine and methamphetamine trafficking operation centered in the Austin area. The arrests, conducted over the past two weeks, represent a significant blow to a network allegedly linked to Mexican Cartel sources, according to authorities.

Federal grand jury indictments returned in Austin charge the defendants with conspiring to distribute controlled substances. The scale of the operation is substantial: the cocaine distribution conspiracies allegedly involved more than 500 grams of cocaine, while the methamphetamine conspiracy allegedly involved over 50 grams of methamphetamine. This isn’t a nickel-and-dime operation; this is serious weight moving through Central Texas.

The bust yielded a significant haul of illegal substances and assets. Authorities seized approximately 50 kilograms of methamphetamine, four kilograms of heroin, over two kilograms of cocaine, roughly 50 pounds of marijuana, multiple firearms, and a staggering $473,000 in assets, including over $423,000 in U.S. Currency. The money alone speaks volumes about the profits fueling this criminal enterprise.

Those arrested include: 25-year-old Juan Miguel Campuzano-Rebollar of Austin; 39-year-old Santana Olmedo-Carbajal of Cedar Creek, TX; 52-year-old Jose Miguel Campuzano-Gonzalez of Austin; 26-year-old Saudiel Granados-Cruz of Austin; 22-year-old Narciso Osorio-Aquino of Austin; 44-year-old Martha Yanez of Elgin, TX; 21-year-old Blanca Arce-Mora of Austin; 50-year-old Jose Ramiro Castellan-Ortiz of Austin; 26-year-old Jose Cruz-Licona of Austin; 22-year-old Blanca Arteaga of Austin; 33-year-old Antonio Benitez-Ugarte of Austin; 28-year-old Iris Garcia of Austin; 33-year-old Jose Rivera-Benitez of Austin; 55-year-old Edward Keane of Perryopolis, PA; 48-year-old William Sump of Port Lavaca, TX; 59-year-old Elvis Jackson of Taylor, TX; 59-year-old Angela Eans of Bastrop, TX; 46-year-old Hulan McCoy of Bastrop; 37-year-old Christopher Henderson of Bastrop; 35-year-old Brandon Carter of Bastrop; and, 34-year-old Joshua Haywood of Austin.

“The arrests made over the last couple of weeks in Austin and the surrounding area conclude a comprehensive investigation targeting the criminal activities of a violent local street gang and their Mexican Cartel sources of supply,” stated DEA Special Agent in Charge Steven S. Whipple. “The DEA, along with our state and local law enforcement partners, will continue to pursue any individual or organization that threaten the well-being and stability of our communities.” Bastrop County Sheriff Maurice Cook added, “With the arrest of these individuals our residents can feel safer knowing that the flow and distribution of illegal drugs in Bastrop County has been interrupted.”

Fourteen of the defendants – Campuzano-Rebollar, Olmedo-Carbajal, Campuzano-Gonzalez, Granados-Cruz, Osorio-Aquino, Yanez, Arce-Mora, Castellan-Ortiz, Cruz-Licona, Keane, Sump, McCoy, Carter and Haywood – face between five and 40 years in federal prison if convicted. The remaining defendants face up to 20 years. Jackson, Eans, McCoy, Henderson, Carter and Haywood were arrested yesterday morning, with McCoy, Carter and Haywood currently held pending detention hearings. It’s crucial to remember that an indictment is not proof of guilt; these defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. The investigation was a joint effort involving the DEA, FBI, Austin Police Department, Cedar Park Police Department, Texas Department of Public Safety, Hays County Sheriff’s Office, IRS-CI, and the Bastrop County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from ICE-ERO. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gabriel Cohen is prosecuting the case.