In a case that cuts through the heat of Houston to the heart of Louisiana, Anacleto Silva-Herrera, 40, a Houston resident, learns that crime doesn't always pay a livable wage — particularly when it involves disseminating substantial consignments of cocaine. According to a press release from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana, Silva-Herrera's journey through the judicial system reached its latest, though perhaps not final, destination on August 20, 2025, as Judge Jane Triche Milazzo handed down a 37-month sentence.
Milazzo, the United States District Judge responsible for the sentence, also imposed a one-year supervised release period, and a $200 mandatory special assessment fee. According to court documents, Silva-Herrera wasn't operating solo. His indictment paints a picture of a syndicate, flush with kilos of cocaine that shuffled through an intricate network spanning the Eastern District of Louisiana. Silva-Herrera himself was specifically charged with transporting and distributing cocaine, and laundering the proceeds thereafter.
The investigation into Silva-Herrera's activities was a concerted effort; it pulled in manpower and expertise from multiple agencies. The Drug Enforcement Administration's New Orleans Field Division took the helm, with the FBI, U.S. Border Patrol, and various local law enforcement entities, like the Gretna Major Crimes Task Force, pitching in to see the operation through.
Assistant United States Attorney Lynn E. Schiffman of the Narcotics Unit handled the prosecution. And while the conviction may clear one player from the board, organizations like the Drug Enforcement Administration – New Orleans Field Division Office, and their partners including the FBI, United States Border Patrol.
