A Mexican national living illegally in Houston has been sentenced to nearly 20 years in federal prison for leading a drug trafficking organization with ties to the La Familia Michoacana cartel. The sentencing follows an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and its law enforcement partners.
Baldemar Navarro-Jaimes, 36, received a sentence of 234 months—equivalent to 19 years and six months—in federal prison on February 18 from U.S. District Judge David S. Morales. After his release, he will serve five years of supervised release. Navarro-Jaimes pleaded guilty on 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 case stemmed from Operation EEYORE, an HSI Corpus Christi-led investigation targeting a network operating under cartel leadership based in Michoacán, Mexico. Authorities found that Navarro-Jaimes coordinated the smuggling of large amounts of cocaine and other drugs from Mexican cartels into Houston and Dallas for further distribution across Illinois, New York, Georgia, and North Carolina. He also arranged narcotics and firearms deals for the organization.
Investigators linked Navarro-Jaimes directly to about nine kilograms of cocaine, 23 kilograms of methamphetamine, and more than ten firearms. The group also facilitated illegal firearm exports into Mexico for use by cartel members.
A search at a stash house in Dallas used for drug trafficking led to the seizure of four firearms, ammunition, and several cellphones.
Navarro-Jaimes had previously served around seven years in a Mexican prison as a hitman for cartel leaders before entering the United States illegally. After arriving in the U.S., he resumed criminal activity and rose to lead the drug trafficking operation.
The broader investigation began in April 2023 after a traffic stop in southern Texas uncovered evidence leading to multiple indictments for drug trafficking, firearms offenses, bulk cash smuggling, and immigration violations. The organization used commercial tractor-trailers with hidden compartments and set up distribution networks across several states.
Navarro-Jaimes remains in custody awaiting transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility yet to be determined.
HSI Corpus Christi led the investigation with help from the Drug Enforcement Administration and local law enforcement agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tyler Foster, Leisel Roscher, and Ashley Martin prosecuted the case.
This case is part of an ongoing Homeland Security Task Force initiative focused on eliminating criminal cartels and transnational criminal organizations operating inside and outside the United States.
For more information: https://www.justice.gov/
