According to US Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei, two Venezuelan nationals have been arrested in the Southern District of Texas on narcotics trafficking charges and are alleged members of the foreign terrorist organization Tren de Aragua.
Jesus Miguel Barreto Lezama, 29, of Houston, and Briley Jesus Ballera Farias, also known as Derek, 32, of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, are accused of conspiring to bring over five kilograms of cocaine into the United States from Venezuela and Colombia. Barreto Lezama faces new charges for importing approximately five kilograms of cocaine from Colombia between June 26 and July 3, 2024.
If convicted, both men face up to life in federal prison and a potential fine of $10 million. The investigation was carried out by the FBI and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), with the aid of the Colombian National Police. The Houston arrest was made by the FBI-Houston’s Safe Streets Gang Task Force, which collaborated with the Houston Police Department, DEA, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the United States Marshals Service.
Assistant United States Attorneys Casey N. MacDonald and Anibal J. Alaniz are prosecuting the case, along with Trial Attorney David C. Smith from the Department of Justice’s Joint Task Force Vulcan. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, the Department of Justice’s broad program to target illegal immigration and transnational criminal organizations.
The investigation is also part of the Joint Task Force Vulcan (JTFV), which was established in 2019 to combat MS-13 but has now expanded to include Tren de Aragua. JTFV consists of U.S. Attorney’s Offices across the country, as well as numerous federal law enforcement agencies. An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal activity, and defendants are deemed innocent unless proven guilty by due process of law.
