Five individuals were arrested Tuesday in connection with an alleged drug distribution network accused of transporting kilograms of cocaine to St. Louis and other locations. The arrests included Christopher D. Taylor, 35; Stanford “Stan” Times, 36; Vincent “Lil V” Woods, 38; and Terry Smith, 49, all apprehended in the St. Louis area. Rene Garcia, 47, was taken into custody in Texas.
Arturo Villalobos, 33, from Texas, has been detained since April after being charged by complaint with conspiracy to distribute cocaine. He was indicted on that charge on April 30. A superseding indictment issued July 24 expanded charges to include the others.
According to the indictment, Times, Woods, Garcia, Grant “50” Berry, 47, and Nabor Deleon, 34, of Texas now face one count each of cocaine conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute cocaine. Villalobos, Berry and Deleon face a second possession count. Taylor, Smith and Wally Burciaga, 30, are charged solely with the cocaine conspiracy count.
The indictment alleges their involvement in a cocaine conspiracy spanning from October 2024 through July 2025.
Court motions seeking pretrial detention allege that Villalobos was found with a duffel bag containing 19 kilograms of cocaine and $100,000 in cash as part of ongoing activity transporting drugs and collecting payments across the country. Days later he reportedly traveled to St. Louis to collect payment for a previous shipment.
Berry is alleged to have supplied illegal drugs to Woods and Times who then supplied Taylor and Smith. Motions state that a man who bought cocaine from Taylor became the target of a shooting on Interstate 55 in St. Louis on November 23, 2024; his car was struck about 26 times by gunfire. One bullet crossed into northbound lanes and killed an uninvolved bystander.
Burciaga is described as an escaped federal prison inmate who sourced drugs from Mexico; Garcia and Deleon are said to be truck drivers who transported the narcotics.
Authorities emphasize that charges set forth in an indictment are accusations only; all defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
The investigation involved multiple agencies including the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Jefferson County Municipal Enforcement Group, Overland Police Department and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Assistant U.S. Attorney Torrie J. Schneider is prosecuting the case.
"This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime," according to officials involved in Operation Take Back America. "Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood."
