Source: Office of United States Attorneys
TULSA, Okla. – Today, Aaron Wilkie Murphy, 51, and Hong Thoa Thi Nguyen, 33, appeared before a Judge in Texas before being returned to the Northern District of Oklahoma for prosecution. The couple fled before being indicted, but Federal Law Enforcement worked in coordination with the Mexican Marines and Police to arrest the couple residing in Puerta Vallarta, Mexico.
In June 2023, Murphy was indicted for Possession of Fentanyl with Intent to Distribute; Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute; and Maintaining a Drug-Involved Premises. In December 2023, Nguyen was indicted separately for Drug Conspiracy and Maintaining a Drug-Involved Premises.
“Murphy and Nguyen have avoided prosecution for over two years,” said U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. “I want to thank our law enforcement partners in Mexico for working diligently with federal agencies on this arrest so that Murphy and Nguyen will face prosecution for their conduct.”
“The successful arrest and expulsion of Mr. Murphy and Mrs. Nguyen were possible because of the cooperation of our national and international partners in both the United States and Mexico,” said Eduardo A. Chavez, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Dallas Division overseeing Oklahoma. “These arrests have undoubtedly made our communities safer and prevented further destruction that fentanyl and methamphetamine in the Tulsa, Oklahoma. The DEA will continue to work hand in hand with our law enforcement partners in the Tulsa area and across the state to ensure justice is served in this case.”
Beginning in March 2022, it is alleged that Murphy possessed fentanyl and methamphetamine with intent to distribute. Additionally, he was charged with maintaining a residence in Tulsa for drug distribution.
In November 2023, court documents alleged that Nguyen conspired with others to distribute cocaine and maintain a residence in Tulsa for drug distribution. Her three co-defendants, indicted in December 2023, have either pled guilty and are awaiting sentencing or have already been sentenced.
If convicted, Murphy faces 360 months to life imprisonment. Nguyen faces 120 months to life imprisonment.
The Drug Enforcement Administration Tulsa Resident Office, the U.S. Marshal Service Tulsa Field Office, and the Tulsa Police Department are investigating the case. The DEA Mexico City Country Office, along with the Hermosillo Mexico Resident Office, the U.S. Marshal Service Mexico City Field Office, Mexican Marines, and the Mexico Federal Police, assisted in the arrest and extradition. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Bailey is prosecuting both cases.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Both cases are investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. For more information about Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces, please visit Justice.gov/OCDETF.