The United States Department of Justice has charged 19 people allegedly connected to a major drug-trafficking operation in Dallas, Texas.
The charges followed an investigation conducted under the Homeland Security Task Force, with several federal agencies involved, including the US Attorney’s Office, Drug Enforcement Administration, DEA, Federal Bureau of Investigation, FBI, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, ATF.
US Attorney for the Northern District of Texas, John Raybould, said the suspects were allegedly involved in a deeply established drug-trafficking network operating in Dallas.
“According to the allegations, these 19 defendants operated one of the most entrenched drug-trafficking networks in Dallas,” Raybould said.
He added, “This case reflects a very hard truth: when drug trafficking enters a neighbourhood, that’s when freedom leaves it, and in this case, freedom didn’t just fade; it was forced out directly and deliberately by this criminal enterprise.”
Authorities said the coordinated investigation and prosecution effort was part of a broader push to dismantle violent criminal organisations and enhance public safety across North Texas.
The Justice Department stressed that the charges are allegations and that all 19 defendants are presumed innocent unless and until they are proven guilty in court.
US charges 19 over alleged drug-trafficking network in Dallas