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Two Venezuelan Nationals Arrested in International Cocaine Trafficking Ring
HOUSTON – In a major blow to the Tren de Aragua (TdA), a recently designated foreign terrorist organization, two Venezuelan nationals have been arrested on charges of international drug distribution. Jesus Miguel Barreto Lezama, 29, and Briley Jesus Ballera Farias aka Derek, 32, are accused of conspiring to import over five kilograms of cocaine into the United States from Venezuela and Colombia.
According to the indictment, Barreto Lezama is also charged with importing nearly five kilograms of cocaine into the United States from Colombia between June 26, 2024, and July 3, 2024. If convicted, they face up to life in federal prison and a possible $10 million maximum fine.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI and DEA, with assistance from the Colombian National Police. The Houston arrest was made by FBI-Houston’s Safe Streets Gang Task Force, with the assistance of the Houston Police Department, DEA, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and U.S. Marshals Service.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Casey N. MacDonald and Anibal J. Alaniz are prosecuting the case, along with Trial Attorney David C. Smith from the Joint Task Force Vulcan. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
The Tren de Aragua is a Venezuelan-based terrorist organization known for its involvement in international drug trafficking and other illicit activities. The Joint Task Force Vulcan, created in 2019, was initially aimed at dismantling MS-13 but has since expanded its scope to target the TdA.
Barreto Lezama made his initial appearance in federal court in Houston, while Farias was arrested in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and made his initial appearance in that jurisdiction. An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. The defendants are presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
Key Facts
- State: Texas
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Organized Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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