Source: Office of United States Attorneys
HOUSTON – Two Honduran brothers who had been illegally residing in Houston after numerous removals have been found guilty of conspiracy to commit armed robbery and related offenses, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
The jury deliberated for approximately five hours before convicting Edwin Olivares-Calderon, 51, and Marcos-Olivares Calderon, 42. The seven-day trial included testimony from two confidential informants and 10 law enforcement officials and approximately 100 exhibits.
“With today’s guilty verdict, there are two fewer violent criminals operating in Houston, and that means a safer community for everyone” said Ganjei. “The Southern District of Texas thanks the jury for their service.”
Both men were members of the Los Tumbadores rip crew, an armed robbery group of Honduran illegal aliens that focused on targeting drug traffickers, alien smugglers and illegal game room operators.
The jury heard that the Olivares-Calderon brothers attempted to rob approximately 27 kilograms of cocaine between March 11, 2016, and March 21, 2016, first from a tire shop on Crosstimbers and then from a BMW that had just crossed the U.S.-Mexican border in Hidalgo.
The brothers had been using a tracker to surveil a vehicle that was believed to be transporting cocaine. Law enforcement then identified that vehicle and on March 19, 2016, recovered 27 kilograms of cocaine from underneath the center console. Marco Olivares-Calderon and others later attempted to locate the vehicle they believed was loaded with drugs.
Upon the arrest of Marco Olivares-Calderon, authorities discovered a loaded firearm behind the glove compartment in the dashboard of his car.
The defense attempted to convince the jury there was insufficient evidence that they were at the identified locations, and if they were present, that they did not plan to engage in any criminal activity. The jury did not believe those claims.
U.S. District Judge Alfred Bennett presided over trial and set sentencing for May 22. At that time, the bothers face up to 20 years for the armed robbery conspiracy. Edwin also faces up to two additional years for illegal reentry after removal, while Marcos could receive up life imprisonment and 15 years, respectively, for his convictions of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute at least five kilograms of cocaine and being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm. They will remain in custody pending that hearing.
Homeland Security Investigations and the Houston Police Department conducted the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation with the assistance of Customs and Border Protection, Citizenship and Immigration Services and Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Office. OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, 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 on the Department of Justice’s OCDETF webpage.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Adam Laurence Goldman and Anh-Khoa Tran prosecuted the case.