HOUSTON — The U.S. Attorney's Office, Houston Police Department and several other federal and local agencies announced a 50-count indictment Monday involving dozens of people linked to a major drug cartel.
The 41 suspects are charged with trafficking fentanyl, heroin, cocaine and meth in Houston, Galveston New Orleans, Pensacola, Atlanta, Nashville and Chicago.
Twenty-three people are already in custody but law enforcement agencies are still searching for 16 fugitives, including some believed to be in Houston and the cartel leader.
The feds said Roque Zamudio-Mendoza, 52, is the head of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, the main source of drugs smuggled into the United States. He's believed to be in Mexico.
“The Jalisco New Generation Cartel -- or CJNG -- cast a dark shadow and a stench far beyond the borders of a single nation and into the streets and communities, places like Houston and beyond,” U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani said at a news conference. "The CJNG is one of the most powerful and dangerous criminal organizations in Mexico characterized by a business model of extreme violence and trafficking in the most deadly of substances."
The 63-month investigation, dubbed Operation Rainmaker, began in 2019 and was led by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces.
According to the indictment, authorities seized the following.
- Approximately 22,600 fentanyl-laced pills
- 550 kilos of meth
- 249 kilos of cocaine
- 34 kilos of heroin
- 5 kilos of pentobarbital
- Nine firearms
- Several luxury Rolex watches
- Large amounts of cash, including $190,000 seized during a traffic stop in Porter
Hamdani pointed out that 107,000 Americans died from drug overdoses in 2021 with 66% of those deaths related to synthetic opioids like fentanyl.
"The cartel's ruthless pursuit of profits comes at the cost of countless young lives leaving families and communities across the country devastated," Hamdani said.
Everyone named in the indictment is charged with possession with intent to distribute cocaine, fentanyl, heroin and meth and all face up to life in prison if convicted.
Other charges include conspiracy to launder monetary instruments and laundering of monetary instruments.
Several local and federal law enforcement agencies were involved, including the following.
- U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas Alamdar S. Hamdani
- Houston Police Chief Troy Finner
- Galveston Police Chief Doug Balli
- Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent in Charge Daniel C. Comeaux
- U.S. Marshal T. Michael O'Connor
- Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Assistant Special Agent in Charge Noel Rangel
"I want to extend a special thanks to the task force officers, men and women who are on the front line and really doing the dangerous part, I want to commend them for what they are doing," Houston Police Chief Troy Finner said. "We stand strong here and I’m very proud of that, those outstanding defendants out there, we’re going to get them as well.”
The investigation spanned multiple jurisdictions, including Houston, Arlington, Corpus Christi, Brownsville, McAllen, Louisiana, Colorado, Washington and California.
If you have any information on this case or the wanted fugitives, call 1-877-WANTED-2.