Ma Le Jones, Cocaine Trafficking, New York 2025

Ma Le Jones, 37, of Lockport, New York, has been arrested and charged with possession with intent to distribute cocaine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

According to the complaint, on the morning of December 13, 2025, Jones presented for inspection at the Lewiston-Queenston Bridge using a New York State driver’s license for identification. Jones told a Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Officer that he made a wrong turn and was attempting to return to the United States.

The CBP officer conducted database queries, which revealed Jones was subject to an active order of protection, and was also on probation for a prior firearms offense. As a result, Jones was referred to secondary inspection, during which CBP officers seized, among other things, two cell phones, $2,383 in cash, quantities of marijuana, MDMA, cocaine, and crack cocaine, and a loaded revolver.

Jones is currently on parole after being convicted of Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree in 2017 in New York State Court. The complaint is the result of an investigation by Customs and Border Protection, under the direction of Director of Field Operations Rose Brophy, and Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Erin Keegan.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Katerina F. Powers, who is handling the case, stated that Jones faces a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison, a maximum of life, and $1,000,000. The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

The detention hearing was held before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeremiah J. McCarthy, who ordered Jones to be detained pending further proceedings. The case is a stark reminder of the ongoing threat of drug trafficking and the importance of law enforcement working together to combat it.

Jones’ arrest and charges are a significant development in the fight against narcotics trafficking, and Grimy Times will continue to follow this case as it unfolds.

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