A federal indictment unsealed in the Eastern District of Texas has led to the arrest of 16 individuals allegedly involved in a large-scale methamphetamine trafficking conspiracy. Acting U.S. Attorney Abe McGlothin, Jr. announced the results of a multi-agency law enforcement operation that took place on April 16, 2025.
The indictment, returned by a federal grand jury on April 2, 2025, charges the defendants with federal drug and firearm offenses. The investigation, which began in November 2022, has resulted in the seizure of over 10 kilograms of methamphetamine and 14 firearms. The arrested individuals began their initial court appearances in Beaumont on April 16, 2025.
According to court documents, the following individuals are accused of participating in the methamphetamine conspiracy operating in the Angelina, Nacogdoches, and Polk counties area:
- Albert Lopez, 39
- Adaryl Douglas, 45
- Hector Gomez, 40
- Oscar Padilla, 44
- Leanna Jean Busby, 45
- Amanda McBride, 43
- John Christopher Rios, 53
- Jose Pedro Guzman Jr., 34
- Lorene Michelle Baker, 44
- David Davis, Jr., 48
- Penny Ann King, 51
- Jodi Calvin Sparkman, 53
- Christopher Dewayne Harvey, 51
- Gary Mills, 65
- Clifton Collin-Dakota Smith, 32
- Corey Mullan, 39
Albert Lopez and Adaryl Douglas face additional charges of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, while Gary Mills is also charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm. If convicted, the defendants face potential prison sentences ranging from 10 years to life.
In connection with the operation, Eduardo Barajas-Macias, 32, identified as a close associate of the conspiracy, was arrested and charged with unlawful reentry by a removed or deported alien.
This investigation is part of Operation Take Back America, a national initiative by the Department of Justice targeting illegal immigration, cartels, transnational criminal organizations, and violent crime. The operation leverages resources from the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The investigation was a collaborative effort involving the Angelina County Sheriff’s Office, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, FBI, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, Lufkin Police Department, Nacogdoches County Sheriff’s Office, Texas Department of Public Safety, and U.S. Marshals Service. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Donald S. Carter.
It is important to note that a federal indictment is not evidence of guilt, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
