Criminal illegal alien sentenced to nearly 20 years for leading cartel-linked drug trafficking operation

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas - A criminal illegal alien from Mexico who led a transnational drug trafficking organization tied to Cartel La Familia Michoacana has been sentenced to 19 years and six months in federal prison following an investigation conducted by ICE's Homeland Security Investigations.

Baldemar Navarro-Jaimes, 36, illegally residing in Houston, was sentenced Feb. 18 by U.S. District Judge David S. Morales to 234 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by five years of supervised release. Navarro-Jaimes pleaded guilty July 1, 2025, to conspiracy to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine.

"Navarro-Jaimes was not a street-level dealer - he was a leader who helped flood American communities with huge quantities of narcotics while facilitating the illegal movement of firearms to cartel operatives in Mexico," said ICE Deputy Director Charles Wall. "HSI and our law enforcement partners will continue to identify, investigate and dismantle transnational criminal organizations that threaten public safety and fuel cartel violence on both sides of the border."

The sentencing is the result of an HSI Corpus Christi-led Homeland Security Task Force and Smuggling and Corruption investigation known as Operation EEYORE, which targeted a criminal network operating under the direction of cartel leadership based in Michoacán, Mexico.

Navarro-Jaimes coordinated the smuggling of multikilogram quantities of cocaine and other narcotics from Mexican cartels into Houston and Dallas, with further distribution to cities in Illinois, New York, Georgia and North Carolina. He also brokered narcotics and firearms transactions on behalf of the organization.

Investigators tied Navarro-Jaimes directly to approximately 9 kilograms of cocaine, 23 kilograms of methamphetamine and more than 10 firearms. The organization also facilitated the illegal export of firearms into Mexico to arm cartel members.

A search warrant executed at a stash house in Dallas used to facilitate drug trafficking activities resulted in the seizure of four firearms, assorted ammunition and multiple cellphones.

Navarro-Jaimes previously operated as a hitman for cartel leadership in Mexico and served approximately seven years in a Mexican prison prior to his illegal entry into the United States. Once inside the United States, he resumed criminal activity and rose to a leadership role within the drug trafficking organization.

The broader investigation began in April 2023 following a traffic stop in the Southern District of Texas and led to the indictment of multiple individuals for violations including drug trafficking, firearms trafficking, bulk cash smuggling and immigration offenses. The criminal organization exploited commercial tractor-trailers outfitted with concealed compartments and established distribution networks across multiple states to move narcotics throughout the United States.

Navarro-Jaimes has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined.

HSI Corpus Christi conducted the investigation with significant assistance from the Drug Enforcement Administration and local law enforcement partners. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tyler Foster, Leisel Roscher and Ashley Martin prosecuted the case.

This investigation was conducted as part of the Homeland Security Task Force initiative, a whole-of-government effort dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs and transnational criminal organizations operating in the United States and abroad.

Read more on Justice.gov.