Grand Jury Returns Indictment Charging Interstate Drug Trafficking and Money Laundering Conspiracy

GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN - U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Timothy VerHey today announced that Lakento Brian Smith, 54, of Houston, Texas; Javon Drevelle Brewer, 58, of Muskegon Heights, Michigan; and Fletcher Lee Salazar, 40, of Muskegon Heights, Michigan, were indicted on criminal charges related to alleged drug trafficking and money laundering conspiracies.

Smith, Brewer, and Salazar are charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, including 400 grams or more of fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine. Smith and Brewer are also charged with money laundering conspiracy. Brewer and Salazar are charged with possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl and heroin.

"Today's indictment highlights our office's unwavering commitment to protecting our communities from those who traffic in deadly narcotics and attempt to conceal their illicit profits through money laundering," said U.S. Attorney VerHey. "The charges allege that these individuals conspired to distribute dangerous controlled substances, including more than 400 grams of fentanyl-a poison that continues to drive overdoses across our district-and then sought to hide the proceeds. We will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners to ensure that those who endanger our communities are held accountable."

If convicted, Smith faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years and up to life in prison, and Brewer and Salazar face a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years and up to life in prison.

"These indictments demonstrate our commitment to protecting communities across west Michigan from those who profit from the illegal drug trade," said DEA Detroit Division Special Agent in Charge Joseph O. Dixon. By targeting both the drugs and the money behind them, we are sending a clear message: drug traffickers will be identified, their operations will be dismantled, and they will be held accountable in a court of law for their actions."

"The U.S. Postal Inspection Service remains steadfast in our mission to protect communities from lethal narcotics, including those trafficked through the U.S. Mail," said Inspector in Charge Felicia B. George of the Detroit Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. "This indictment highlights the impact of our Homeland Security Task Force partnership. The Postal Inspection Service is proud to stand with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners in identifying, disrupting, and dismantling these criminal operations that endanger our communities and holding the individuals who run them accountable."

"Today's indictment underscores our unwavering commitment to safeguarding communities from the devastating impact of drug trafficking and illicit financial schemes. By targeting those who distribute dangerous narcotics and attempt to conceal their profits, we send a clear message: law enforcement agencies across our district will continue to collaborate and pursue justice for those affected by these crimes. We remain steadfast in our efforts to hold accountable anyone who threatens the safety and well-being of our neighborhoods," said Robert Kuszynski, Acting Special Agent in Charge for IRS-CI Detroit.

"Drug traffickers and money launderers threaten the safety of our communities across Michigan, and this indictment is another example of the work FBI Detroit does every day in coordination with our partners to keep Michigan safe," said Jennifer Runyan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Detroit Field Office. "I commend the outstanding efforts of our Grand Rapids Resident Agency, whose dedicated efforts and collaboration were critical to advancing this investigation."

"The trafficking of fentanyl, heroin, and other dangerous narcotics has a devastating impact that reaches far beyond those directly involved-it affects families, neighborhoods, and entire communities," said Michigan State Police Sixth District Commander Capt. Jason Nemecek. "This indictment demonstrates what can be accomplished when federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies combine their resources, expertise, and determination toward a common mission. The Michigan State Police and our partners at WEMET remain committed to aggressively disrupting the criminal organizations responsible for bringing these deadly drugs into West Michigan. Those who profit from poisoning our communities should know that we will continue working together, across jurisdictions and agency lines, to identify them, dismantle their operations, and hold them accountable."

DEA, FBI, IRS-CI, USPIS, MSP, GRPD, and KCSO are investigating this case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Dan McGraw is prosecuting it.

This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Detroit comprises agents and officers from over twenty federal agencies, and state, local, and international partners, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney's Office for the Western District of Michigan.

The charges in an indictment are merely accusations, and a defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.