HSTF Prosecution Sends Career Drug Trafficker to Federal Prison for 20 Years

AUSTIN, Texas - A Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) case resulted in an Austin man being sentenced in federal court to 20 years in prison for trafficking methamphetamine, announced U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas.

According to court documents, on May 31, 2025, James Everett McFarlin, 52, drove from Austin to a residence in Houston. McFarlin, who was under investigation by Homeland Security Investigations and the Austin Police Department, was only at the residence for approximately six minutes before he began driving back to Austin.

On his return trip, McFarlin was stopped by a Texas Department of Public Safety Trooper for a traffic offense. The Trooper observed an open container of alcohol inside the vehicle, and a drug canine alerted to the presence of a controlled substance. Further inspection revealed a large brown paper bag inside the vehicle, which contained two bags of methamphetamine. McFarlin admitted to officers that he had purchased the two kilograms of methamphetamine for $3,500 per kilogram during his stop in Houston and that he was returning to distribute it in the Austin area.

On March 31, McFarlin pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Prior to this case, McFarlin was convicted of federal drug offenses on three separate occasions. U.S. District Judge Robert Pitman sentenced McFarlin on Oct. 7.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Castillo prosecuted the case.

This case 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 comprises agents and officers from FBI; ICE HSI; DEA; ATF; U.S. Border Patrol; USMS; U.S. Postal Inspection Service; Department of Transportation; IRS Criminal Investigation; Texas Department of Public Safety; as well as local police departments and sheriff's offices, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney's Office for the Western District of Texas.

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