BEAUMONT, TX – A major cocaine distribution network flooding East Texas with drugs and washing the profits through the financial system has been dismantled, authorities announced today. Eleven individuals are facing federal charges after a multi-agency investigation exposed a decade-long conspiracy to traffic narcotics and launder money.
Federal agents executed arrest warrants today, bringing the heat down on suspects named in two separate indictments. The first, returned by a grand jury on April 4, 2012, charges Jerry Trevino, 46, of Spring, Texas; Alvin Nelson, 60, of Houston; and Thomas Drew Widak, 44, of Houston, with conspiracy to distribute cocaine. A second, more sweeping indictment, handed down February 6, 2013, alleges a broader conspiracy involving eight more individuals: Cesar I. Alvarez-Barrera, 43, of Tomball, Texas; Eduardo Silva, 39, of Roma, Texas; Juan Javier Correa, 53, of McAllen, Texas; Douglas Francis Waindel, 29, of Atlanta, GA; Jaime Luis Vivero-Flores, 46, of Houston; Jesus Amaya-Saenz, 29, of Hockley, Texas; Alfredo Soto-Valdez, 39, of Austin; and Sandra Calderon Martinez, 31, of Houston. These eight face both drug conspiracy and money laundering charges.
According to court documents, the first conspiracy, involving Trevino, Nelson and Widak, allegedly operated from 1995 to June 2011, distributing at least five kilograms of cocaine throughout the Eastern District of Texas and beyond. The later indictment details a similar operation, running from 2003 to February 2013, with Alvarez-Barrera, Silva, Correa, Waindel, Vivero-Flores, Amaya-Saenz, Soto-Valdez, and Martinez allegedly moving at least five kilograms of cocaine while simultaneously attempting to conceal the illicit profits. Authorities believe Correa and Barrera are ringleaders. As of this afternoon, Correa, Amaya-Saenz, and Martinez remain at large.
The investigation, spearheaded by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), involved a coalition of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies including the Drug Enforcement Administration, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, Port Arthur Police Department, Houston Police Department, Harris County Sheriff’s Office, Nacogdoches County Sheriff’s Office, U.S. Marshals Service, and the Texas Department of Public Safety. OCDETF focuses on dismantling the most dangerous drug trafficking organizations, and this case is no exception.
Each of the defendants faces a minimum of 10 years and potentially life in prison if convicted of the drug conspiracy charge. The money laundering conspiracy carries a separate penalty of up to 20 years in federal prison. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Craft is prosecuting the case. A grand jury indictment is not proof of guilt; all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Grimy Times will continue to follow this case as it unfolds, bringing you the unvarnished truth from the streets and the courtrooms. This bust represents a significant blow to drug trafficking in East Texas, but the fight against the flow of illegal narcotics is far from over. Expect more indictments and arrests as law enforcement tightens its grip on organized crime in the region.
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Key Facts
- State: Texas
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Fraud & Financial Crimes|Organized Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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