Web Desk
BROWNSVILLE, Texas — Authorities have arrested three individuals in connection with a major drug seizure intended for Houston and northern states, U.S. Attorney Nicolas J. Ganjei announced.
The suspects, identified as Pablo Luis Fuentes-Rivas, 40, from Baytown; Efren Pinales-Hernandez, 51, of Weslaco; and Daniel Teniente-Marfileno, 39, an undocumented immigrant residing in Houston, appeared in a Houston court.
They will be transferred to Brownsville for further legal proceedings.
According to the charges, law enforcement observed the trio in the early hours of March 29 at a Baytown truck yard.
They were allegedly moving cocaine from a semi-truck into another vehicle.
Officers intercepted Teniente-Marfileno as he attempted to leave with the drug shipment, seizing the narcotics during a traffic stop.
Fuentes-Rivas and Pinales-Hernandez were taken into custody while trying to flee.
Authorities confiscated approximately 182.25 kilograms of cocaine, valued at nearly $2.3 million on the street.
The three suspects face charges of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance and conspiracy to distribute.
If convicted, they could face life in prison and a fine of up to $10 million.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation, which aims to identify, disrupt, and dismantle major drug trafficking networks and criminal organizations in the U.S.
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) led the investigation.
They received assistance from the Texas Department of Public Safety, Houston Police Department, Cameron County Sheriff’s Office, and Baytown Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Oscar Ponce is handling the prosecution.
A criminal complaint is a formal accusation and does not constitute evidence of guilt.
The presumption of innocence dictates that those accused of crimes are to be regarded as not guilty until proven otherwise within the legal system.
