United States Attorney Richard B. Roper
Northern District of Texas

GROUP ARRESTED FOR IMPORTATION AND
DISTRIBUTION OF HYDROPONIC MARIJUANA

FORT WORTH, Texas — A group of individuals in Tarrant County, Texas, have been charged in a federal criminal complaint with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute more than 100 kilograms of hydroponic marijuana, announced U.S. Attorney Richard B. Roper of the Northern District of Texas.

At 6:00 a.m. this morning Special Agents of the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE), in conjunction with various local and federal law enforcement agencies arrested 14 defendants in “Operation Hydro Pham,” an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCEDTF) investigation into the smuggling of hydroponic marijuana, a high-potency marijuana which is grown in indoor labs. Another defendant was arrested in California last night.

Defendants arrested are Khai Pham, 24, of Fort Worth, Texas; Hoang Pham, 29, of Arlington, Texas; Duong Vo, 35, of Arlington, Texas; Thuy Son Nguen, 42, of Austin, Texas; Laura Dang, 20, of Arlington, Texas; Hung The Vo, 21, of Arlington, Texas; Chunyi Zhang, 25, of Arlington, Texas; Christopher Banks, 22, of Fort Worth, Texas; Jesus Silva, 21, of Arlington, Texas; Johnny Tran, 24, of Arlington, Texas; Michael Farley, 26, of Fort Worth, Texas; Vivisay Philavong, 32, of Fort Worth, Texas; Kevin Keno Davis, 27, of Fort Worth, Texas; Thao Pham, 44, of Sachse, Texas; and Lung Yuan, 31, of Dallas, Texas. Kiem Pham was also arrested on a federal warrant out of the Southern District of Texas on related charges.

According to the complaint, in December, 2005, ICE agents in Dallas, Texas, became aware that Hoang Pham and his organization were supplying hydroponic marijuana throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, area. Agents discovered that the organization was responsible for the distribution of over several thousand pounds of hydroponically grown marijuana per year.

Initial appearances for the defendants are scheduled for Friday afternoon, May 30, 2008, before U.S. Magistrate Charles Bleil, in Fort Worth, Texas.

U.S. Attorney Roper praised the investigative efforts of the agents and officers of ICE, DEA, the Carrollton Police Department, the Arlington Police Department, the Fort Worth Police Department, the Tarrant County Sheriff’s Department, the Dallas County Sheriff’s Department, and the Austin Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Josh Burgess of the Fort Worth, Texas, U.S. Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the case.

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