Alamdar Hamdani U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas
Two Honduran brothers residing illegally in Houston have been convicted of conspiracy to commit armed robbery and related offenses. U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei announced the conviction of Edwin Olivares-Calderon, 51, and Marcos-Olivares Calderon, 42, following a seven-day trial that included testimony from confidential informants and law enforcement officials.
The jury took five hours to deliberate before reaching a guilty verdict. "With today’s guilty verdict, there are two fewer violent criminals operating in Houston, and that means a safer community for everyone," said Ganjei. "The Southern District of Texas thanks the jury for their service."
The brothers were part of Los Tumbadores, an armed robbery group targeting drug traffickers and other illegal operations. They attempted to rob approximately 27 kilograms of cocaine in March 2016 from locations including a tire shop on Crosstimbers and a BMW crossing the U.S.-Mexican border.
Using a tracker, they surveilled a vehicle suspected of transporting cocaine. Law enforcement identified this vehicle and recovered 27 kilograms of cocaine on March 19, 2016. Marco Olivares-Calderon was found with a loaded firearm upon his arrest.
The defense argued insufficient evidence linked the brothers to criminal activity at the identified locations. However, the jury rejected these claims.
U.S. District Judge Alfred Bennett presided over the trial and set sentencing for May 22. The brothers face up to 20 years for armed robbery conspiracy; Edwin faces an additional two years for illegal reentry after removal, while Marcos could receive life imprisonment plus 15 years for other convictions.
They remain in custody pending sentencing. Homeland Security Investigations led the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces operation with assistance from various agencies including Customs and Border Protection and the Houston Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Adam Laurence Goldman and Anh-Khoa Tran prosecuted the case.
