Three men have been charged after law enforcement seized more than 180 kilograms of cocaine intended for the Houston area and northern states, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas announced on Tuesday.
The men, Pablo Luis Fuentes-Rivas, 40, of Baytown, Efren Pinales-Hernandez, 51, of Weslaco, and Daniel Teniente-Marfileno, 39, a noncitizen living in Houston, were arrested following a surveillance operation on March 29, the U.S. Attorney’s Office reported.
Law enforcement observed the suspects early in the morning at a Baytown truck lot, where they were seen unloading what appeared to be narcotics from a semi-tractor trailer into another vehicle. Teniente-Marfileno drove off from the scene with the suspected drugs, but authorities soon stopped his vehicle and seized the 182.25 kilograms of cocaine, valued at approximately $2.3 million.
Fuentes-Rivas and Pinales-Hernandez were arrested as they attempted to leave the truck lot.
The three men are now facing serious charges, including drug trafficking, and could face life in prison and up to a $10 million fine if convicted. This investigation is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation, which coordinates efforts across federal, state, and local agencies to dismantle major drug trafficking organizations.
