U.S. Department
of Justice
Press Release
Eight Men From Michigan, Indiana, And Illinois Arrested On Federal Drug Trafficking Charges
For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Western District of Michigan
GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN — U.S. Attorney Andrew Birge announced that law enforcement arrested eight individuals on a complaint alleging they are involved in a transnational and interstate cocaine ring. The investigation centered around Ivan Huerta Hernandez (32) whose alleged drug trafficking operations were based in New Buffalo, Michigan. Through conduits in Mexico, Hernandez was supplied by sources located in Chicago, Illinois and distributed cocaine to dealers in West Michigan and Northern Indiana.
On the morning of November 3, 2021, approximately 90 federal, state, and local law enforcement officers executed arrest warrants and six search warrants in four judicial districts: the Western District of Michigan, the Northern District of Indiana, the Northern District of Illinois, and the Central District of Illinois. Investigators seized approximately 2 kilograms of suspected cocaine. Investigators also seized approximately $99,900 in cash and two firearms.
The men arrested are listed below:
|
Name |
Residence |
Age |
|
Ivan Huerta Hernandez |
New Buffalo, Michigan |
32 |
|
Adrian Romero Antunez |
Chicago, Illinois |
35 |
|
Henry Shavar Nichols |
Greenville, South Carolina |
41 |
|
Marcus Jemel Johnson |
Benton Harbor, Michigan |
42 |
|
Juan Martinez Camarillo |
Michigan City, Indiana |
36 |
|
Donald James Rogers |
New Buffalo, Michigan |
62 |
|
Manuel Eudave |
La Porte, Indiana |
54 |
|
Santiago Cardenas |
Michigan City, Indiana |
41 |
For more information, please see the continuation in support of the criminal complaint available on the public docket. United States v. Hernandez, et al., No. 21-MJ-551, ECF No. 1 (W.D. Mich.).
The arrests are part of an Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation that began in 2020 and has been led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI),
Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), United States Marshals Service (USMS), Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Michigan State Police’s Southwest Enforcement Team (SWET), Berrien County Sheriff’s Department (BCSD), Pokagon Band Tribal Police, Michigan City Police Department, La Porte City Police Department, and the Cook County Sheriff Department.
OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using an intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Under the United States Constitution, the government must present felony cases to a grand jury and obtain indictments to proceed with prosecution. The charges in the complaints are merely accusations and are not evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law. The government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
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Updated November 8, 2021
Topic
Drug Trafficking
Component
