Two Venezuelan nationals, Jesus Miguel Barreto Lezama and Briley Jesus Ballera Farias, were taken into custody on federal charges of international drug distribution, according to a recent announcement from U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. The accused are allegedly members of Tren de Aragua, which has been classified as a foreign terrorist organization. The arrests were made as part of a larger effort against international drug crime and violent gang activity.
While residing in Houston, 29-year-old Barreto Lezama was apprehended and presented in federal court in the city. Meanwhile, captured last Sunday, Ballera Farias, 32 and also known as Derek, made his initial appearance after his arrest in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. A federal grand jury has charged the men with conspiring to import over five kilograms of cocaine into the United States from Venezuela and Colombia, in a statement obtained by the Department of Justice. Barreto Lezama also faces charges for importing nearly five kilograms of cocaine from Colombia between June 26, 2024, and July 3, 2024.
Life in federal prison and a $10 million fine stand as possible consequences for Barreto Lezama and Ballera Farias if they are found guilty of the allegations. The investigation that led to their arrests was carried out by the FBI and the DEA with the collaboration of the Colombian National Police. Local assistance was provided by the FBI-Houston’s Safe Streets Gang Task Force, including cooperation from agencies like the Houston Police Department and the U.S. Marshals Service.
Prosecutors on this case include Assistant U.S. Attorneys from the Southern District of Texas, Casey N. MacDonald and Anibal J. Alaniz, alongside David C. Smith, a Trial Attorney from the Department of Justice’s Joint Task Force Vulcan, formed originally to dismantle MS-13 and now focuses on targeting Tren de Aragua as well. As part of Operation Take Back America, the arrest aligns with broader federal efforts to repel illegal immigration, dismantle cartels, and shield communities from violent crime, with full resources of the Department of Justice being marshaled.
This case against Tren de Aragua contributes to a national initiative that includes collaboration between various U.S. Attorney's Offices and the Department of Justice's key divisions, supplemented by the ongoing support of multiple law enforcement agencies such as the FBI, DEA, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and others for the necessary fortitude leading the charge in Joint Task Force Vulcan's investigations.
