A Honduran national was extradited from Guatemala to the United States on March 20 to face international drug trafficking charges in the Eastern District of Texas, according to U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.
Baldemar Roque Negrete, also known as Chele Peña, age 52, was charged by indictment on August 14, 2019 with conspiracy to manufacture and distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine knowing it would be imported into the United States for distribution. Roque Negrete is scheduled for an initial appearance in federal court in the Eastern District of Texas on March 24.
The case falls under the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF brings together various government agencies with a focus on dismantling criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking operations both within and outside U.S. borders. The task force also prioritizes cases involving child trafficking or crimes against children and aims to prosecute and remove violent criminal aliens from the country.
If convicted of these charges, Roque Negrete faces a maximum penalty of life in federal prison.
The investigation is being led by the Drug Enforcement Administration Dallas Field Division, FBI, and DEA Guatemala City Country Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Rattan is prosecuting the case.
The Justice Department acknowledged assistance from Guatemalan authorities as well as support from its Office of International Affairs, the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Embassy in Guatemala for facilitating Roque Negrete's arrest and extradition.
Officials reminded that an indictment does not constitute evidence of guilt; all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
