Category: US Department of Justice

Source: United States Department of Justice

Three Crew Members Charged With Murder

A grand jury in the Southern District of Texas returned a superseding indictment yesterday charging 13 Texas men for their roles in a robbery crew that engaged in robbery, drug trafficking, obstruction of justice, and murder, including the killing of two individuals in July 2023.

The following 13 defendants, all of Houston, have been charged in the superseding indictment with one count of robbery conspiracy and one count of drug distribution conspiracy:

• Derrick Dewayne Butler, also known as Kutt and Kutt Throat, 28;
• Travon Maxwell, also known as Goonie, 29;
• Emmanuel Winnfield, also known as Pimp, 36;
• Herman Mitchell, also known as Boobie, 37;
• Tyrone Raymond Bolton, also known as Honeybee, 32;
• Joe Devon Champion, also known as Champ, 35;
• Jonta Allen Glover, 32;
• Dewayne Donnell Champion, also known as Wayne, 37;
• Cedric Lynn Andrews, also known as Ced, 50;
• Jermar Ballard Jones, also known as Mar, 37;
• Christian Xavier Rucker, also known as Gucci, 30;
• Samuel Lamonte Draper, 25; and
• Jeremy James Jenkins, 21.

If convicted, each defendant faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on the robbery conspiracy count and a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison and a maximum penalty of life in prison on the drug distribution conspiracy count. In addition, the defendants are each charged with one or more counts of attempt to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance, and Jones is charged with obstruction.

Three of the defendants, Butler, Rucker, and Jones, were also charged with two counts of murder in aid of racketeering, using a firearm during a drug trafficking crime, using a firearm during a crime of violence, and two counts of causing death through the use of a firearm relating to the killing of two men on July 19, 2023. If convicted of murder in aid of racketeering, Butler, Rucker, and Jones each face a mandatory minimum of life in prison or a maximum of the death penalty.

Twelve of the defendants, Bolton, J. Champion, Glover, Winnfield, D. Champion, Mitchell, Andrews, Jones, Butler, Maxwell, Draper, and Jenkins, each face, if convicted, an additional mandatory minimum of five years in prison and a maximum penalty of life in prison for possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Supervisory Official Antoinette T. Bacon of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei for the Southern District of Texas, and Special Agent in Charge Douglas A. Williams Jr. of the FBI Houston Field Office made the announcement.

The FBI Houston Field Office and Houston Police Department investigated the case with valuable assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Texas Department of Public Safety. This case is part of both the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime Initiative (VCI) in Houston and an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation.

Trial Attorneys Justin G. Bish, Ralph Paradiso, Ben Tonkin, and Jodi Anton of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Byron H. Black and Kelly Zenón-Matos for the Southern District of Texas are prosecuting the case.

The Houston VCI is conducted in partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas and local, state, and federal law enforcement. The joint effort addresses violent crime by employing, where appropriate, federal laws to prosecute gang members and associates in Houston. As part of the initiative, the Criminal Division has dedicated attorneys and other resources to prosecuting violent offenders and assisting intervention, prevention, and reentry efforts to address the root causes of violent crime.

OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found on the Justice Department’s OCDETF webpage.

An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

The Federal Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism announced that it will be visiting 10 university campuses that have experienced antisemitic incidents since October 2023. Created pursuant to President Trump’s Executive Order on Additional Measures to Combat Anti-Semitism, the Task Force set as its first priority to eradicate antisemitic harassment in schools and on college campuses.

Leading Task Force member and Senior Counsel to the Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Leo Terrell informed the 10 universities yesterday that the Task Force was aware of allegations that the schools may have failed to protect Jewish students and faculty members from unlawful discrimination, in potential violation of federal law. Mr. Terrell said he intends for the Task Force to meet with university leadership, impacted students and staff, local law enforcement, and community members as it gathers information about these incidents and considers whether remedial action is warranted.

“The President, Attorney General Pamela Bondi, and the entire Administration are committed to ensuring that no one should feel unsafe or unwelcome on campus because of their religion,” said Mr. Terrell. “The Task Force’s mandate is to bring the full force of the federal government to bear in our effort to eradicate Anti-Semitism, particularly in schools. These visits are just one of many steps this Administration is taking to deliver on that commitment.”

The 10 universities identified by the Task Force are: Columbia University; George Washington University; Harvard University; Johns Hopkins University; New York University; Northwestern University; the University of California, Los Angeles; the University of California, Berkeley; the University of Minnesota; and the University of Southern California.

If you have been discriminated against, you can file a complaint with the Civil Rights Division at civilrights.justice.gov. President Trump’s Executive Order can be found at www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/additional-measures-to-combat-anti-semitism/.

Source: United States Department of Justice

Today, the United States secured custody of 29 defendants from Mexico who are facing charges in districts around the country relating to racketeering, drug-trafficking, murder, illegal use of firearms, money laundering, and other crimes. The defendants taken into U.S. custody today include leaders and managers of drug cartels recently designated as Foreign Terrorist Organizations and Specially Designated Global Terrorists, such as the Sinaloa Cartel, Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG), Cártel del Noreste (formerly Los Zetas), La Nueva Familia Michoacana, and Cártel de Golfo (Gulf Cartel).  These defendants are collectively alleged to have been responsible for the importation into the United States of massive quantities of poison, including cocaine, methamphetamine, fentanyl, and heroin, as well as associated acts of violence.

“As President Trump has made clear, cartels are terrorist groups, and this Department of Justice is devoted to destroying cartels and transnational gangs,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “We will prosecute these criminals to the fullest extent of the law in honor of the brave law enforcement agents who have dedicated their careers — and in some cases, given their lives — to protect innocent people from the scourge of violent cartels. We will not rest until we secure justice for the American people.”

“The FBI and our partners will scour the ends of the earth to bring terrorists and cartel members to justice,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “The era of harming Americans and walking free is over.”

“Today’s actions are a consequence of a White House that negotiates from a position of strength, and an Attorney General who is willing to lead the Department with courage and ferocity,” said Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove. “By prosecuting these defendants to the maximum extent allowable under the law, we honor the memory of Special Agent Camarena, Deputy Sherrif Byrd, and other victims who are far too numerous, as well as decades of hard work in the trenches by our law enforcement partners.”

“Today, 29 fugitive cartel members have arrived in the United States from Mexico, including one name that stands above the rest for the men and women of the DEA — Rafael Caro Quintero. Caro Quintero, a cartel kingpin who unleashed violence, destruction, and death across the United States and Mexico, has spent four decades atop DEA’s most wanted fugitives list, and today we can proudly say he has arrived in the United States where justice will be served,” said DEA Acting Administrator Derek S. Maltz. “This moment is extremely personal for the men and women of DEA who believe Caro Quintero is responsible for the brutal torture and murder of DEA Special Agent Enrique “Kiki” Camarena. It is also a victory for the Camarena family. Today sends a message to every cartel leader, every trafficker, every criminal poisoning our communities: You will be held accountable. No matter how long it takes, no matter how far you run, justice will find you.”

Many of the defendants were subject to longstanding U.S. extradition requests that were not honored during the prior Administration, but that the Mexican government elected to transfer to the current U.S. government in response to the Justice Department’s efforts pursuant to President Trump’s directive in Executive Order 14157, entitled Designating Cartels and Other Organizations as Foreign Terrorist Organizations and Specially Designated Global Terrorists, to pursue total elimination of these Cartels. Federal prosecutors will evaluate whether additional terrorism and violence charges are appropriate based on the policy set forth in Executive Order 14157, and whether capital punishment is available based on Executive Order 14164, entitled Restoring the Death Penalty and Protecting Public Safety, as well as the Attorney General’s Feb. 5 guidance regarding the death penalty.

• Rafael Caro Quintero, who is alleged to have been among those responsible for the 1985 murder of DEA agent Enrique “Kiki” Camarena and others.
• Martin Sotelo, who is alleged to have participated in the 2022 murder of Deputy Sheriff Ned Byrd.
• Antonio Oseguera Cervantes, who allegedly helped lead CJNG and is reportedly the brother of Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, also known as “El Mencho.”
• Ramiro Perez Moreno and Lucio Hernandez Lechuga, who are alleged to be high-ranking members of Los Zetas.

A complete list of defendants, as well as districts where they are charged and will appear in federal court in the coming days:

Mexico Defendants

Attorney General Pamela Bondi thanked the law enforcement officers of the Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI, U.S. Marshal’s Service, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Homeland Security Investigations, and Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Office for their valuable contributions to these investigations.

The Attorney General also thanked the Justice Department Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section and its Office of International Affairs, and the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the District of Arizona, Central District of California, Southern District of California, the District of Columbia, Middle District of North Carolina, Northern District of Illinois, Eastern District of New York, Southern District of New York, Northern District of Texas, Eastern District of Texas, Southern District of Texas, and Western District of Texas for handling the prosecutions of these cases.

An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Source: United States Department of Justice

Today, Attorney General Pamela Bondi, in conjunction with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), declassified and publicly released files related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and his sexual exploitation of over 250 underage girls at his homes in New York and Florida, among other locations. The first phase of declassified files largely contains documents that have been previously leaked but never released in a formal capacity by the U.S. Government.

“This Department of Justice is following through on President Trump’s commitment to transparency and lifting the veil on the disgusting actions of Jeffrey Epstein and his co-conspirators,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “The first phase of files released today sheds light on Epstein’s extensive network and begins to provide the public with long overdue accountability.”  

“The FBI is entering a new era—one that will be defined by integrity, accountability, and the unwavering pursuit of justice,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “There will be no cover-ups, no missing documents, and no stone left unturned — and anyone from the prior or current Bureau who undermines this will be swiftly pursued. If there are gaps, we will find them. If records have been hidden, we will uncover them. And we will bring everything we find to the DOJ to be fully assessed and transparently disseminated to the American people as it should be. The oath we take is to the Constitution, and under my leadership, that promise will be upheld without compromise.”

Attorney General Bondi requested the full and complete files related to Jeffrey Epstein. In response, the Department received approximately 200 pages of documents, however, the Attorney General was later informed of thousands of pages of documents related to the investigation and indictment of Epstein that were not previously disclosed. The Attorney General has requested the FBI deliver the remaining documents to the Department by 8:00 AM on February 28 and has tasked FBI Director Kash Patel with investigating why the request for all documents was not followed.

The Department remains committed to transparency and intends to release the remaining documents upon review and redaction to protect the identities of Epstein’s victims.

A copy of Attorney General Bondi’s letter can be downloaded here.

Links to released documents below:

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

All 14 defendants in a large-scale federal dog fighting case indicted last year in Albany, Georgia, have now been convicted. The U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Georgia has accepted the guilty pleas of the following defendants:

• Tamichael Elijah, 48, of Donalsonville, Georgia;
• Marvin Pulley, III, 53, of Donalsonville and Jakin, Georgia;
• Brandon Baker, 42, of Panama City, Florida;
• Christopher Travis Beaumont, 38, of Panama City, Florida;
• Herman Buggs, Jr., 57, of Donalsonville, Georgia;
• Terrance Davis, 46, of Pansey, Alabama;
• Timothy Freeman, 27, of Bainbridge, Georgia;
• Terelle Ganzy, 35, of Panama City, Florida;
• Gary Hopkins, 67, of Donalsonville, Georgia;
• Cornelious Johnson, 40, of Panama City, Florida;
• Rodrecus Kimble, 44, of Donalsonville, Georgia;
• Donnametric Miller, 42, of Donalsonville, Georgia;
• Willie Russell, 43, of Blakely, Georgia; and
• Fredricus White, 36, of Panama City, Florida.

According to court documents filed in this case, the defendants all converged on a property in Donalsonville, Georgia, on April 24, 2022, where they held a large-scale dog fighting event. The defendants and others brought a total of 24 pit bull-type dogs to be fought that weekend in a series of matches. Law enforcement personnel who disrupted the event found numerous dogs inside crates in cars on the property.

The participants used their cars to store dogs who had already been fought, as well as those whose handlers were awaiting their turn in the fighting pit. Some dogs were kept on chains on the property. Law enforcement rescued a total of 27 dogs, including one found in the pit with severe injuries and which died a shortly thereafter. Dogs in the cars also bore recent injuries and historical fighting scars.

Under federal law, it is illegal not only to fight dogs in a venture that affects interstate commerce, but also to possess, train, transport, deliver, sell, purchase or receive dogs for fighting purposes.

All defendants but Freeman pleaded guilty to felony conspiracy to violate the animal fighting prohibition of the federal Animal Welfare Act. Defendants Beaumont and Miller also pleaded guilty to sponsoring or exhibiting (i.e., handling) a dog in a dog fight. Defendants Baker, Davis, Ganzy, Johnson, Pulley, and White further pleaded guilty to possessing and transporting a dog for purposes of using the dog in an animal fighting venture. Freeman pleaded guilty to spectating at an animal fight. Defendants Miller and Pulley also pleaded guilty to the unlawful possession of a firearm by a person with a prior felony conviction.

Russell is set to be sentenced on Feb. 28. The court has not yet set sentencing dates for the other defendants. Each defendant faces maximum penalties of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine per count of animal fighting charges. Miller also faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine on the firearm charge, and Pulley faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison on his firearm charge.

Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD) and Acting U.S. Attorney C. Shanelle Booker for the Middle District of Georgia made the announcement.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Office of the Inspector General and detectives with the Seminole County, Georgia, Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Detectives with the Bay County, Florda, Sheriff’s Office also provided invaluable assistance.

Senior Trial Attorney Ethan Eddy and Trial Attorney Leigh Rendé of ENRD’s Environmental Crimes Section are prosecuting the case with assistance from Criminal Chief Leah McEwen of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Georgia. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Morrill and Paralegal Kristi Cote for the Middle District of Georgia handled a parallel civil forfeiture proceeding to ensure that the dogs did not have to be returned to the defendants. The U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Northern District of Florida and Middle District of Alabama also assisted with the dog rescue operation.