U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Wilson | U.S. Department of Justice
Five individuals have entered guilty pleas to federal drug and related charges in the Eastern District of Oklahoma. The U.S. Attorney’s Office announced the developments concerning members of a drug trafficking organization.
Rito Alvarado Gomez, 36, admitted guilt to Drug Conspiracy. Jose Alberto Alvarado Gomez, 34, Ricardo Villeda, 26, and Iris Yoselin Luna-Herrera, 27, pleaded guilty to Distribution of Methamphetamine. Ana Isabel Frayre Barboza, 38, acknowledged her involvement by pleading guilty to Misprision of Felony.
According to the indictment, from 2018 until March 13, 2024, these individuals conspired with others to possess and distribute methamphetamine within the Eastern District of Oklahoma and beyond.
The investigation was conducted jointly by multiple agencies including the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics (OBN), along with drug task forces from Hope and Nashville in Arkansas. Additional support came from Arkansas State Police, Hope Police Department, and McCurtain County Sheriff’s Office.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) initiative aimed at dismantling high-level criminal organizations through coordinated efforts among federal, state, and local law enforcement entities.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Jason A. Robertson accepted the pleas in court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma. He has ordered presentence investigations for each defendant. Rito Alvarado Gomez and his co-defendants were placed in custody pending sentencing while Ana Isabel Frayre Barboza remains free on bond until sentencing occurs.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Erin Cornell and Jordan Howanitz are handling the prosecution for this case.
