2 Houston-area residents plead guilty to drug trafficking charges following $29M meth bust by ICE HSI, ATF

MCALLEN, Texas — Two Houston-area residents pleaded guilty Tuesday to possessing with intent to distribute 777 kilograms of methamphetamines following an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Houston and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Houston.

Eduardo Figueroa Jr., a 26-year-old resident of Cleveland, Texas, and Cynara Lucia Sarmiento, a 23-year-old resident of Conroe, Texas, pleaded guilty March 22 in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas to both counts of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamines.

Figueroa hired Sarmiento as his personal assistant and tasked her with leasing the warehouse space and forming Hive Logistics, a business warehouse located in Houston.

On May 12, 2021, HSI Houston and ATF Houston executed a search at the location and discovered 777 kilograms of meth, 10 kilograms of cocaine, ledgers, two pistols and five magazines. The meth was located inside metal barrels marked as mango puree. The estimated street value of the methamphetamines seized was $29 million.

As part of the plea, Figueroa admitted the meth was part of a larger shipment he had received, of which approximately 800 kilograms had already been delivered to several individuals. Sarmiento admitted to creating a ledger for the drugs and delivering them on at least one occasion with Figueroa.

Sentencing has been set for June 1. At that time, Figueroa and Sarmiento each face up to life in prison and a possible $10 million maximum fine.

Figueroa has been and will remain in custody pending that hearing, while Sarmiento was permitted to remain on bond.

This case is part of an exportation and straw purchasing of firearms investigation from March 2021, in which Figueroa was identified as a recruiter. He also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to straw purchase five shotguns on Nov. 22, 2021.

Assistant U.S. Attorney M. Alexis Garcia is prosecuting the case.

HSI is a directorate of ICE and the principal investigative arm of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), responsible for investigating transnational crime and threats, specifically those criminal organizations that exploit the global infrastructure through which international trade, travel, and finance move. HSI’s workforce of over 10,400 employees consists of more than 7,100 special agents assigned to 220 cities throughout the United States, and 80 overseas locations in 53 countries. HSI’s international presence represents DHS’s largest investigative law enforcement presence abroad and one of the largest international footprints in U.S. law enforcement.