Related Federal Cases
- Mario Urbina Pleads Guilty to Cocaine Conspiracy, United States, 2023 · Ohio
- Shannell Gosine, Conspiracy to Distribute Cocaine, Buffalo NY, 2023 · Tennessee
- Lakeva Shillette Hill, Major Drug Trafficking Conspiracy, Texas, 2024 · Ohio
- John N. Lockett III, Crack Cocaine Distribution Conspiracy, OH, 2023 · Ohio
- Sanchez Latson, Conspiracy to Distribute Powder Cocaine, Shreveport… · Massachusetts
Defendant Arrested in Conspiracy to Traffic Cocaine
A shocking case of corruption has unfolded in Texas, as Noel Pena, a 29-year-old investigator for the Rio Grande City Police Department, has been arrested and charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine.
Pena’s co-defendant, Hector Salinas-Hinojosa, 21, of Roma, was arrested on April 17, 2015, after a criminal complaint was filed. Pena was taken into custody the following morning, and both men made their initial appearances before U.S. Magistrate Judge Dorina Ramos in McAllen. They will remain in custody pending a detention hearing set for Thursday at 11:00 a.m.
According to the charges, Pena and Salinas-Hinojosa allegedly conspired to provide a ‘fake’ police report to an undercover officer who was acting as a cocaine trafficker. The undercover ‘cocaine trafficker’ claimed to need assistance in stealing the majority of a 10-kilogram cocaine load he was holding for the drug cartels. On April 9, 2015, Salinas-Hinojosa and Pena met with the undercover officer and agreed to provide the ‘fake’ police report to make it appear that 10 kilograms of cocaine had been seized by law enforcement, according to the charges. In exchange, they were allegedly supposed to be paid $10,000.
The complaint alleges that at the time of the meeting, the undercover officer provided $5,000 as a down payment for the report. The scheme allegedly involved Pena, as an investigator assigned to the Starr County High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force, being tipped off to the location of the cocaine. He would then stage a law enforcement operation.
On April 11, 2015, two kilograms of cocaine was left at a stash house location in Garceno. After being ‘tipped’ off the location, Pena allegedly proceeded to the residence and ‘found’ the cocaine and then obtained a search warrant to seize it. Subsequently, on April 17, 2015, Salinas-Hinojosa provided the ‘fake report’ to the undercover officer and was paid the remaining $5,000.
The charges are the result of an investigation conducted by Homeland Security Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Texas Department of Public Safety, and the FBI, with assistance from the Texas Rangers. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Juan F. Alanis and Ted Imperato are prosecuting the case.
A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law. This shocking case highlights the importance of robust joint investigations in keeping our communities safe.
Key Facts
- State: Texas
- Category: Drug Trafficking
- Source: DOJ Press Release ↗
ðŸâ€â€™ Get the grimiest stories delivered weekly. Subscribe free →
MORE FEDERAL CRIME NEWS
Drug TraffickingDrug TraffickingDrug TraffickingDrug Trafficking