A federal judge in Del Rio has handed an Eagle Pass man a three-decade federal prison term after finding he ran methamphetamine, heroin and marijuana on Kickapoo tribal land while armed. Rolando “Roly” Oyervides Jr., 40, was sentenced Monday to 360 months behind bars after what prosecutors describe as a years-long probe that pulled in undercover work, social media sleuthing and a 2020 raid on an Eagle Pass home where agents say they found drugs, guns and a handwritten ledger.
Armed drug trafficking on Kickapoo Tribal Land leads to 30 years in federal prison for Eagle Pass man @DEAHOUSTONDiv @HSI_SanAntonio #OperationTakeBackAmerica https://t.co/IYsxm6HYqA
— U.S. Attorney WDTX (@USAO_WDTX) April 6, 2026
What investigators say
According to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Texas, the case kicked off in 2019 when Drug Enforcement Administration and Homeland Security Investigations agents combed through Oyervides’ social media account. Investigators say they spotted photos of cocaine, heroin, marijuana, methamphetamine, plastic baggies and digital scales, along with messages about drug distribution. Prosecutors also allege the operation relied on women acting as drug mules, reportedly moving three to four ounces at a time, several times a week.
On Jan. 29, 2020, DEA and HSI agents executed a search warrant at an Eagle Pass residence and arrested Oyervides. Inside, they reported seizing marijuana, methamphetamine, scales, a drug ledger and two .380-caliber semi-automatic pistols, along with nearly 200 rounds of .380 ammunition and three 12-gauge shotgun shells. A post by U.S. Attorney WDTX linked to the Justice Department announcement and tagged the case under #OperationTakeBackAmerica.
Guilty pleas and prior convictions
The U.S. Attorney's Office says a federal grand jury indicted Oyervides on charges of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. He pleaded guilty to the drug count and the felon-in-possession charge on June 24, 2021. Following a bench trial on Oct. 29, 2021, the court found him guilty on the remaining firearm-in-furtherance count, and the judge later imposed the 360-month sentence in Del Rio.
Prosecutors also pointed to Oyervides’ record. In 2004, he was convicted of possession with intent to distribute cocaine and received a 40-month sentence, and he was later ordered to serve an additional 11 months after his supervised release was revoked in 2009. According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, those prior convictions helped shape the final sentence under the federal guidelines.
Part of a wider federal push
The U.S. Attorney's Office says the case was investigated and prosecuted through the Homeland Security Task Force as part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide effort that targets transnational criminal organizations. Homeland Security Task Forces were created under Executive Order 14159, “Protecting the American People Against Invasion,” according to the Federal Register.
Federal agencies have relied on those task forces for major drug busts in the region this year. In February, for example, agents seized more than 550 kilograms of methamphetamine in a San Antonio investigation that the DEA also labeled part of Operation Take Back America.
Legal context
The charges stacked against Oyervides include a firearm count that carries especially steep penalties when prosecutors show the gun was used in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Federal judges weigh those statutory minimums and maximums alongside prior convictions and the federal sentencing guidelines before landing on a final term.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Nallely Duarte and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Rivera prosecuted the case in Del Rio, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. With 30 years now on the books, Oyervides faces a lengthy stint in federal custody followed by supervised release once his sentence is complete.
What to watch
The outcome highlights the Justice Department’s continued focus on northern Maverick County and nearby border communities, where federal task forces say cartels and traffickers look for opportunities. For those tracking the case or the broader Operation Take Back America effort, court filings and the Justice Department release offer more detail on how this one unfolded and what could come next on the Del Rio docket.
