39 Individuals Charged in Houston Violent Crime Initiative

HOUSTON, TX, Sept. 7, 2023 – Thirty-nine individuals have been charged in connection with the Department of Justice Criminal Division’s Houston Violent Crime Initiative. The initiative, being carried out in conjunction with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas and other local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies, aims to curb violent crimes and large-scale drug trafficking in the region.

Following the return of seven distinct indictments by a federal grand jury, as well as four court-issued complaints, the arrests were made. Those charged are alleged to be members of wider groups, with involvements ranging from large-scale drug trafficking to violent robberies. A notable aspect of the charged crimes is the illegal possession or employment of firearms.

Initially announced in September 2022, the initiative leverages federal laws where suitable to prosecute gang members and their associates operating primarily in the southwest and southeast locales of Houston. The Criminal Division is channeling resources into prosecuting violent offenders and aiding in prevention, intervention, and reentry strategies to mitigate the underlying causes of violent crime.

The charges leveled include possession with the intent to distribute various drugs such as cocaine, fentanyl, and meth, alongside a series of firearm-related charges and conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery.

During the operation, law enforcement seized a total of 79 firearms, including three modified machine guns and multiple standalone machine gun conversion devices. Additionally, an assortment of drugs was confiscated, which encompassed around 248 kilograms of meth, some combined with fentanyl, over 1.7 kilograms of other drugs, and more than $110,000 in cash.

The broad collaborative effort included various federal and local entities such as the FBI, Houston Police Department, Drug Enforcement Administration, among others.

The prosecution is being undertaken by U.S. Attorneys Kelly Zenon, John Ganz, and Carrie Wirsing, along with a team from the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section. It is paramount to note that the charges in the indictments and complaints are allegations, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.