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and adolescents. The Drug Enforcement Administration, neys John Jocher and Nancy Herrera pros-
Houston Police Department, Bureau of ecuted the case.
In connection with this case, authorities Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explo-
are still seeking Ziad Mahmoud Alsala- sives and IRS – Criminal Investigation Multiple sentences imposed in massive
meh, 56, of Pearland, and Aqil Khader, 33, conducted the four-year investigation with synthetic narcotics distribution network.
of Houston. They are considered fugitives the assistance of the U.S. Postal Inspec- (2018, November 28). Retrieved Janu-
and warrants remain outstanding for their tion Service, Conroe Police Department, ary 22, 2019, from https://www.dea.gov/
arrests. Anyone with information about sheriff’s offices in Harris and Polk coun- press-releases/2018/11/28/multiple-sen-
their whereabouts are asked to contact ties, Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commis- tences-imposed-massive-synthetic-narcot-
DEA at 713-693-3000. sion and the Montgomery County District ics-distribution
Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attor-

Trafficker Indicted For Transporting

Heroin Inside Car Battery

ATLANTA - Francisco Castaneda Rivera has ment, and other information presented in Members of the public are reminded that the in-
been indicted by a federal grand jury for al- court: On Oct. 20, 2018 law enforcement con- dictment only contains charges. The defendant
legedly transporting 4.5 kilograms of heroin - ducted a traffic stop on a vehicle from Texas is presumed innocent of the charges, and it will
hidden inside a car battery - from Texas to the traveling east along Interstate 20 in Doug- be the government’s burden to prove the defen-
Atlanta area. las County, Ga. Rivera, who was previously dant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
known to law enforcement, was the owner and
“Drug distribution is about delivering misery to an occupant of the vehicle. Law enforcement This case is being investigated by the DEA,
the consumer,” said Robert J. Murphy, Special searched the vehicle and observed that the bat- with valuable assistance provided by the
Agent in Charge of the U.S. Drug Enforcement tery in the truck was significantly cleaner than Georgia State Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorneys
Administration’s Atlanta Field Division. “DEA’s the rest of the engine compartment. Upon clos- Garrett L. Bradford and David A. O’Neal are
mission is about removing the supply before it er inspection, agents realized that the battery prosecuting the case.
gets to the consumer. This case was successful had been altered. They opened it and found
because of the dedicated efforts of our federal, five packages wrapped in electrical tape along The DEA encourages parents, along with their
state and local law enforcement partners and the with a motorcycle battery wired to provide children, to educate themselves about the
United States Attorney’s Office.” electrical current sufficient to operate the ve- dangers of legal and illegal drugs by visiting
hicle. The substance inside the packages tested DEA’s interactive websites at www.justhink-
“Drug trafficking organizations go to great positive for heroin. Rivera was arrested and twice.com, www.GetSmartAboutDrugs.com
lengths to creatively conceal and transport denied bond. and www.dea.gov. Also follow DEA Atlanta
their poisonous merchandise across the United via Twitter at @DEAATLANTADiv.
States,” said U.S. Attorney Byung J. “BJay” Rivera, 64, of Houston, Texas was charged
Pak. “Thanks to our vigilant and perceptive with possession with intent to distribute and Trafficker indicted for transporting hero-
law enforcement agents, this large quantity conspiracy to possess with intent to distrib- in inside car battery. (2018, November 16).
of heroin was discovered and seized before it ute at least one kilogram of heroin. He was Retrieved January 22, 2019, from https://
could make its way into our community.” arraigned on November 16, 2018 before U.S. www.dea.gov/press-releases/2018/11/16/
Magistrate Judge Catherine M. Salinas. trafficker-indicted-transporting-heroin-in-
According to U.S. Attorney Pak, the indict- side-car-battery

FEBRUARY 2019 NARCOTIC OFFICERS MAGAZINE™ — 13