A week of federal prosecutions in Texas saw long prison sentences for drug traffickers and the arrest of an MS-13-linked suspected murderess.
MS-13 Suspect Arrested in Midland
Chief Michael W. Banks of the U.S. Border Patrol posted on X that agents arrested in Midland, Texas, an illegal alien from El Salvador who was wanted internationally. Banks claimed the woman is also linked to the MS-13 gang and said, “Her time in the U.S. is over, and she is in custody pending deportation. Our agents are relentlessly tracking down dangerous criminal aliens to ensure they are deported.”
ARRESTED: ILLEGAL ALIEN WANTED IN EL SALVADOR FOR HOMICIDE!
In Midland, TX, agents located and arrested a Salvadoran national wanted internationally for homicide. She is also linked to the notorious MS-13 gang. Her time in the U.S. is over, and she is in custody pending… pic.twitter.com/3OfLLXFy8k
— Chief Michael W. Banks (@USBPChief) December 15, 2025
Mesquite Man Sentenced for Fentanyl Trafficking
Arob Kolnyang, 31, of Mesquite, was sentenced to 135 months in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl in the Eastern District of Texas, U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs announced in a press release on December 17.
Prosecutors indicated that beginning in 2021, Kolnyang participated in a conspiracy to distribute at least 40 grams of fentanyl. The prosecution was part of the Homeland Security Task Force initiative, which claims to target criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human trafficking networks operating in the United States.
Dallas County Criminal Court records reviewed by The Dallas Express indicate that a defendant named Arob Kolnyang was convicted of Assault on a Family/House Member by Impeding Breath in 2018. Other records show several misdemeanor charges, including obstructing a passageway and failure to ID as a fugitive against an Arob Dau Kolnyang; he reportedly pled no contest to the former, and the latter was dismissed when he was convicted in another case.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service-Office of Inspector General, the Mesquite Police Department, and the Phoenix Police Department investigated the federal case. Prosecutors in the Plano office handled the case.
Houston Man Gets 14-Year Sentence for Meth Smuggling
Alfonso Avellaneda Chavarrieta, 25, of Houston, was sentenced to 168 months in federal prison by Chief U.S. District Judge Alia Moses for importing and trafficking methamphetamine in the Western District of Texas.
Prosecutors said in a press release that Chavarrieta was referred to secondary inspection at the Eagle Pass Port of Entry on November 17, 2021, after a canine alerted officers to 64 bundles of methamphetamine hidden in the rear tires of his vehicle.
Officials claimed the meth tested positive for 31.4 kilograms at 97 percent purity. Chavarrieta pleaded guilty to all four counts in August 2022, and U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons announced the sentence. Homeland Security Investigations and U.S. Customs and Border Protection investigated the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tyler Fleming and Amy Greenbaum prosecuted it.
The Western District press release said the case was part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice describes as marshaling its resources to combat illegal immigration, dismantle transnational criminal organizations, and protect communities from violent crime.
These developments follow recent federal enforcement actions in Texas, including human smuggling prosecutions, narcotics trafficking cases, and international fugitive arrests.
This edition of Texas Takedown Weekly continues the series’ coverage of border-related arrests, federal prosecutions, and immigration enforcement actions statewide.
To read last week’s edition, click here: Texas Takedown Weekly: Human Smuggler Special Edition.
