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BRAZORIA COUNTY listed, that is the county we live in! So the borders are “safer than ever” now??????

6/29/2010 10:25:00 PM

28 arrested in federal drug trafficking roundup indictment charges 35 with being involved in a methamphetamine and cocaine distribution ring

Examiner staff report

BEAUMONT, Texas - U.S. Attorney John M. Bales announced today that 28 individuals have been arrested and charged with federal drug violations in the Eastern District of Texas.

On June 29, 2010, a combined task force of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies began arresting individuals named in a 35-defendant indictment returned by the federal grand jury on June 3, 2010, charging them with being involved in a methamphetamine and cocaine distribution ring in the Eastern District of Texas. At this same time, 13 state arrest warrants for methamphetamine trafficking offenses were issued.

According to the indictment, beginning in August 2008, 35 individuals are alleged to have been involved in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and cocaine in east Texas. According to prosecutors, an undercover investigation involving known narcotics traffickers revealed this drug trafficking organization and linked it to other undercover investigations from around the state and country. It became apparent that the defendants in this case were allegedly directly linked to large drug cartels operating out of Mexico and that the drugs traveling into Texas were being routed to other areas of the United States. Search and arrest warrants were executed today at locations in Harris County, Galveston County, Hearne/Bryan, Conroe, Chambers County, Orange County, and Jefferson County.

The defendants are each charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance. If convicted, they could receive up to Life in federal prison.

This case is being investigated by the DEA, ICE, ATF, Texas Department of Public Safety, Orange County Sheriff’s Office, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, the Chambers County Sheriff’s Office, the Beaumont Police Department, U.S. Marshal’s Service, Brazoria County Sheriff’s Office, Galveston County Sheriff’s Office, Galveston Police Department, Houston Police Department and the Texas Rangers. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle Englade.

An indictment is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

INDICTED:
The following individuals were indicted. Those in federal custody and will appear before U.S. Magistrate Judge Keith Giblin for initial appearances:

· Rogelio Dominguez Pineda, 39, of Houston;

· Jonathan A. Cuadros-Zabala, 25, of Houston;

· Samuel Pineda, 28, of Houston;

· Rodolfo Dominguez Pineda, 33, of Houston;

· Raul Pineda, 43, of Houston;

· Enrique Pineda, 35, of Houston;

· Aurelio Pineda-Moreno, 29, of Houston;

· Jesus Pineda-Espinoza, 30, of Houston;

· Juan Carlos Soto, 26, of Houston;

· Neil Indravadan Desai, 36, of Houston;

· Mohammad Zahid, 54, Houston;

· Amando Garcia-Duarte, 34, of Houston;

· Jorge Duarte-Garcia, 28, of Houston;

· John Anthony Molenda, 28, of Houston;

· Lester Edwen McCoy, 44, of Houston;

· Aldo Alber Maldonado-Herrera, 27, of Houston;

· Kenneth Patrick Collins, 43, of Houston;

· Jaime Buenaventura Pineda, 33, of Houston;

· German Rios Gomez, 26, of Houston;

· David Ruiz, 31, of Hearne, Texas;

· Orlando Pineda-Espinoza, 25, of Houston;

· Joshua Haynes, 28, of Nederland, Texas;

· Vanessa A. Cutbill, 32, of Houston;

· Alejandro G. Garcia, 46, of Houston;

· Julian Duarte-Molina, 25, of Houston;

· Christopher Shannon Miguez, 31, of Katy, Texas;

· Heather Marie Smith Peveto, 34, of Vidor, Texas;

· Trish Lynne Taylor, 28, of Houston;

· Brandon Wayne Russell, 28, of Tomball, Texas;

· Sarrah Elizabeth Youseff, 27, of Montgomery, Texas;

· Patrick Fernand Brupbacher, 33, of Houston;

· Ashley Michelle Henry, 24, of Sugar Land, Texas;

· Jose Carmen Duarte-Bautista, 49, of Houston;

· Joshua Lynn Bland, 22, of Orange, Texas; and

· Vincent Troy Bertrand, 46, of Winnie, Texas.