Eighteen individuals pleaded guilty last week in Fort Worth, Texas, to a range of federal offenses as part of Operation Showdown, according to Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Nancy E. Larson. The pleas were entered before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeffrey L. Cureton on Wednesday and Thursday.
The defendants face charges including assaults on federal agents, unlawful possession and trafficking of firearms, and distribution of illegal drugs such as cocaine, methamphetamine, and fentanyl. These latest guilty pleas bring the total number related to Operation Showdown to 26 since late July 2025.
"Operation Showdown’s multi-agency initiative spanned only two months but led to federal arrests of 56 defendants and another 20 state arrests in Tarrant County, Texas," stated the release. Sentences for those who have pled guilty so far range from 10 years to 40 years in federal prison. Four more defendants are scheduled to enter pleas this Wednesday.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives led Operation Showdown with support from several agencies including the Drug Enforcement Administration, Fort Worth Police Department, Texoma High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area task force, United States Marshals Service, Texas Department of Public Safety, Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office and District Attorney’s Office, as well as U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Enforcement and Removal Operations.
Operation Showdown is part of a broader national effort called Operation Take Back America that coordinates resources from the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhoods programs to combat violent crime associated with illegal immigration and drug cartels across the country.
"Pending charges against the remaining defendants are merely allegations, and each is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt," noted officials.
