Texas Man Guilty of Federal Controlled Substances Act and Interstate Travel Act Violations uncovered during Homeland Security Task Force investigation

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - On August 6, 2026, JESUS MARTINEZ, JR. ("MARTINEZ") , age 30, pled guilty before United States District Judge Nannette Jolivette Brown to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute, and Distribute, Five Kilograms or More of Cocaine and a Quantity of Fentanyl, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(B) and 846, Conspiracy to Import Five Kilograms or More of Cocaine and a Quantity of Fentanyl, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 952(a), 960(a)(1), 960(b)(1)(B) and 963, and Interstate Travel in Aid of Racketeering, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1952(a)(3), announced United States Attorney David I. Courcelle.

According to court documents, MARTINEZ was a drug courier for Luis Canales, who imported cocaine from Mexico and distributed the drugs throughout the United States, including in the Eastern District of Louisiana. Through investigation, it was discovered that a purchase of 10 kilograms of cocaine was negotiated from Canales and was set to occur on March 17, 2024. Canales informed an individual he believed to be a legitimate purchaser, that his couriers would deliver 6 of the kilograms. Canales contacted the individual he believed to be a legitimate purchaser and provided the cell number of the courier who was in possession of the 6 kilograms. The individual Canales, believed to be a legitimate purchaser, contacted the courier and arranged to meet him in Hammond, Louisiana. On March 17, 2024, the individual believed to be a legitimate purchaser, met with MARTINEZ and another courier in Hammond, Louisiana. The couriers provided the individual he believed to be a legitimate purchaser, a trash bag containing approximately 6 kilograms of cocaine in exchange for $8000.00 for their participation in the delivery and a taped package that the individual he believed to be a legitimate purchaser represented contained $76,000.00. After the sale was completed, Louisiana State Police officers conducted a traffic stop of the vehicle driven by MARTINEZ. Inside the vehicle were the funds provided to the couriers by the confidential source.

"Cases such as this show that the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) New Orleans partnership is the tip of the spear for law enforcement as they systematically dismantle the criminal networks that threaten the security of Southeast Louisiana," said U.S. Attorney David I. Courcelle. "Our office, along with a committed team of federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, will use intelligence fusion operations to identify, investigate, and prosecute narcotics and weapons trafficking, human trafficking and smuggling, financial crimes, and transnational gangs, wherever they may be found.

"Every single day, the FBI and our law enforcement partners engage with dangerous criminals who want to poison our communities," said Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Tapp of the FBI New Orleans Field Office. "This is a prime example of the efforts we are undertaking to disrupt and dismantle transnational criminal organizations. The FBI appreciates the hard work of the Louisiana State Police and the U.S. Attorney's Office in helping us bring this subject to justice."

"Partnerships between local, state, and federal agencies are vital to combating the distribution of harmful narcotics in our communities. By working together and sharing resources, we strengthen our ability to disrupt drug trafficking and support successful investigations. Louisiana State Police remains committed to these partnerships and to making our communities safer."

For each conspiracy count, MARTINEZ faces a minimum term of imprisonment of ten (10) years, a maximum term of imprisonment of life, a fine of up to $10,000,000, and at least five (5) years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment. For the Interstate Travel in Aid of Racketeering count, MARTINEZ faces a maximum term of imprisonment of five (5) years, a fine of up to a $250,000, and up to three (3) years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment. Each offense also carries a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.00. MARTINEZ is scheduled to be sentenced on November 19, 2026.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Louisiana State Police. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney André Jones of the Narcotics Unit.

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 New Orleans comprises agents and officers from the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Bureau of Investigations, Drug Enforcement Administration and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana.

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