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Federal appeals court affirms conviction in drug case tied to roommate’s death

5Sep

By Houston StringerNo Comments

Louisiana

Federal appeals court affirms conviction in drug case tied to roommate’s death

NEW ORLEANS, LA – The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit has affirmed the conviction of Miguel Rafael Rayos, Jr., for possessing a controlled substance with intent to distribute following the drug-related death of his roommate. Rayos challenged the denial of his motion to suppress evidence, arguing that the search warrant was not supported by probable cause. The court, in an unpublished opinion issued Sept. 5, 2025 (No. 24-10993), applied its standard two-step inquiry: first determining whether the good-faith exception to the exclusionary rule applied, and then reviewing probable cause if necessary. The panel found that the good-faith exception applied, noting that the affidavit supporting the warrant contained sufficient facts and circumstances to allow a magistrate to ...

Leader of Sinaloa Cartel faction indicted on terrorism and narcotics charges

5Sep

By Houston StringerNo Comments

Illinois

Leader of Sinaloa Cartel faction indicted on terrorism and narcotics charges

CHICAGO, IL – A federal grand jury has indicted Oscar Manuel Gastelum Iribe, also known as “El Musico,” for terrorism, drug trafficking, and firearm offenses, including engaging in a continuing criminal enterprise. According to a superseding indictment unsealed in the Northern District of Illinois, Gastelum Iribe, 50, of Sinaloa, Mexico, directed the Beltran Leyva faction of the Sinaloa Cartel, a designated foreign terrorist organization, in importing massive quantities of fentanyl, cocaine, heroin, and other drugs into the United States. The shipments, often in the hundreds or thousands of kilograms, were distributed nationwide, including in the Chicago area. Prosecutors allege that after the arrest or death of the faction’s prior leaders, Gastelum Iribe assumed control, orderin...

Michigan woman indicted in international child smuggling conspiracy

5Sep

By Houston StringerNo Comments

Vermont

Michigan woman indicted in international child smuggling conspiracy

BURLINGTON, VT – A Michigan woman has been indicted for her role in an international alien smuggling conspiracy that brought migrants, including children, from Central America into the United States across the northern border. A federal grand jury charged Norma Linda Lozano, also known as Norma Linda Quintanilla Lozano, 53, of Ypsilanti, with one count of conspiracy to smuggle aliens and six counts of bringing aliens to the United States for profit. According to the indictment, from February through November 2024, Lozano participated in an alien smuggling organization that moved migrants from Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, and El Salvador into the United States from Canada. The organization allegedly provided migrants with GPS coordinates and vehicle descriptions to assist border c...

Four charged in child smuggling scheme using THC-laced candy

5Sep

By Houston StringerNo Comments

Texas

Four charged in child smuggling scheme using THC-laced candy

EL PASO, TX – Four individuals have been charged in connection with a scheme to smuggle children from Mexico into the United States, sometimes using THC-laced candy to sedate them during smuggling attempts. According to court documents, Mexican nationals Susana Guadian and Daniel Guadian, both 50; Dianne Guadian, 32, a U.S. citizen; and Manuel Valenzuela, 35, a lawful permanent resident residing in El Paso, were charged in the Western District of Texas with conspiracy to transport aliens and bringing aliens into the United States for financial gain. Between May 1 and Oct. 17, 2024, the defendants were allegedly part of an alien smuggling organization that brought unaccompanied children between the ages of five and 13 into the United States from Juarez, Mexico. The complaint alleg...

ASP investigates death of Star City woman

4Sep

By Houston StringerNo Comments

Arkansas

ASP investigates death of Star City woman

STAR CITY, Ark. — At the request of the Star City Police Department, the Arkansas State Police Criminal Investigation Division is investigating the death of Ann Ward, 79, of Star City. On June 25, 2025, Ward sought treatment for injuries at a health clinic in Star City. She was transferred to Jefferson Regional Medical Center in Pine Bluff, where doctors determined her injuries were life-threatening. Ward was transported by med-flight to UAMS in Little Rock, where she died from her injuries on July 10, 2025.

Atascocita Fire Department hosts multi-agency swift water rescue training on Lake Houston

4Sep

By Houston StringerNo Comments

Harris County

Atascocita Fire Department hosts multi-agency swift water rescue training on Lake Houston

ATASCOCITA, TX – The Atascocita Fire Department hosted a joint swift water rescue training exercise today on Lake Houston, bringing together multiple agencies to prepare for flood-related emergencies. https://youtu.be/Thq_3KKgQuo The training focused on scenarios involving victims stranded in floodwaters, including rescues of individuals trapped on top of vehicles and rooftops. Crews practiced low head dam operations, re-flipping rescue boats in the event of capsizing, and retrieving victims safely from boats. Motorized boats, including banana boats and rigid inflatable boats, were used in the exercises. Division Chief of Training Chad Donnally stated that swift water rescues are high-risk but low-frequency events and that the exercises are part of an annual training cycle that ...

Officer’s radio deflects bullet during Stafford barricade after fatal shooting

4Sep

By Houston StringerNo Comments

Texas

Officer’s radio deflects bullet during Stafford barricade after fatal shooting

STAFFORD, TX – A man identified as Adrian Mercado, 35, is accused of fatally shooting 32-year-old Thomas Goodson before barricading himself inside a residence in Stafford and exchanging gunfire with officers. The incident began around 9:55 p.m. on September 3, 2025, when Mercado’s father arrived at the Stafford Police Department and reported that his son had just killed someone at a home in the 13000 block of Lawrence Lane. He also warned that Mercado was armed and dangerous. Responding officers located Goodson deceased in the backyard of the residence. Mercado fled the scene and later opened fire on officers during a search assisted by the Missouri City Police Department’s K-9 Unit. One round struck an officer in the abdomen but was deflected by his police radio, preventing inju...

3Sep

By Houston StringerNo Comments

Houston

Smoke reported on plane at IAH

HOUSTON, TX – A smoke investigation was conducted at George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) after a report of smoke on board a plane Wednesday afternoon. The Houston Fire Department responded to the scene but the cause of the smoke is unknown at this time, and no injuries have been reported. More information will follow if it becomes available.

Massive seizure of cartel drug chemicals announced in Houston

3Sep

By Houston StringerNo Comments

Houston, National

Massive seizure of cartel drug chemicals announced in Houston

HOUSTON, TX – Federal officials announced the seizure of two shipments of precursor chemicals intended for the Sinaloa Cartel, calling it the largest such interdiction in U.S. history. https://youtu.be/TnUZk-br5d4 According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the shipments originated in Shanghai, China, and were intercepted on the high seas before reaching Mexico. The chemicals – 363,000 pounds of benzyl alcohol and 334,000 pounds of N-methylformamide – could have produced an estimated 420,000 pounds of methamphetamine. Authorities said the street value would have reached $569 million in Houston and even higher in northeastern markets such as New York City. Officials stated the seizure involved 1,300 barrels of chemicals, requiring 24 tracto...

Armenian national extradited to Austin on export control conspiracy charges

2Sep

By Houston StringerNo Comments

Texas

Armenian national extradited to Austin on export control conspiracy charges

AUSTIN, Texas – An Armenian national made his initial appearance in federal court in Austin after being indicted and extradited on charges connected to an alleged export control conspiracy. According to court documents, from February 2022 until at least August 2024, Kamo Kirakosyan and others allegedly participated in a conspiracy to export goods, including items used in semiconductor manufacturing, from the United States to the Russian Federation through Armenia without the required license or authorization from the U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry and Security. Kirakosyan and his co-conspirators are also alleged to have violated the International Emergency Economic Powers Act by conducting transactions with entities on the Specially Designated Nationals list without...