Indictment And Historic Drug Seizure In Operation Armageddon

BATON ROUGE, LA - United States Attorney Walt Green announced today the unsealing of a federal grand jury indictment and a historic drug seizure in connection with Operation Armageddon, an extensive investigation aimed at a drug trafficking network operating in Louisiana and California.

As part of the operation, agents executed federal search warrants which resulted in the seizure of over nine (9) kilograms of high-grade methamphetamine with a potential retail value of over a million dollars, eight (8) pounds of marijuana, and numerous weapons, including an AR/15 assault rifle.  The methamphetamine seizure is the largest in the history of the East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office, which was one of the participating agencies. 

The operation has also resulted in a federal grand jury indictment against the nine (9) individuals listed below.  The indictment charges significant drug trafficking, money laundering, and firearms offenses.  If convicted, these defendants face significant terms of imprisonment, fines, and the forfeiture of proceeds from the illegal activity.

• Oscar Machado-Galeana, age 32, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, is charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, heroin and marijuana; conspiracy to launder monetary instruments; distribution of five grams or more of methamphetamine; four counts of distribution of fifty grams or more of methamphetamine; distribution of heroin; distribution of marijuana; possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime; and forfeiture.

• Alexander P. Nava, age 45, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, is charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, heroin and marijuana; conspiracy to launder monetary instruments; distribution of five grams or more of methamphetamine; four counts of distribution of fifty grams or more of methamphetamine; distribution of heroin; distribution of marijuana; possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime; and forfeiture.

• Lori Lee Landry, age 39, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, is charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, heroin and marijuana; and forfeiture

• Devin Joel Martin, age 25, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, is charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, heroin and marijuana; and forfeiture.

• Gregory John Landry, age 39, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, is charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, heroin and marijuana; and forfeiture

• Victor Hugo Sandoval-Quinonez, age 36, of Breaux Bridge, Louisiana, is charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, heroin and marijuana; and forfeiture.

• Roy Martin Herrera Romero, age 38, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, is charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, heroin and marijuana; distribution of marijuana; and forfeiture.

• Mervin Ronald Spencer, age 24, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, is charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, heroin and marijuana; and forfeiture.

• Marco Antonio Lopez-Sandoval, age 20, of California, is charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, heroin and marijuana; conspiracy to launder monetary instruments; and forfeiture.

U.S. Attorney Green stated:  “We will continue to meet the threat posed by drug trafficking organizations by working tirelessly with our excellent federal, state, and local partners to aggressively pursue drug dealers.  I greatly appreciate the great work of the agents and prosecutors in this important investigation.”

Joseph Shepard, the Assistant Special Agent-in-Charge of the New Orleans Division of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, stated:  “Throughout this investigation, DEA and our other federal, state and local counterparts have demonstrated remarkable resilience and cooperation in combating those seeking to flood the streets of the Baton Rouge area with dangerous drugs.  Dangerous drug distribution networks are formidable foes that must be defeated on every front.  The men and women of DEA will continue to do our part to take the fight to these drug trafficking organizations.”

East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff Sid Gautreaux, stated:  “We are proud to be part of the combined efforts of all of the participating agencies in the Task Force, and I would like to personally congratulate them on their efforts in this outstanding case.  I am extremely proud of my deputies and the contributions that they were able to make on a case of such magnitude. As Sheriff of East Baton Rouge Parish, I pledge to continue to work with our federal, state and local partners to combat illegal narcotics and make our community a safer place to live. This case is a prime example of the results that can be achieved when we have the level of cooperation exhibited by this Task Force. I would like to thank the DEA for facilitating the Task Force and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Louisiana for their unwavering support of not only this office, but for all law enforcement agencies in our region.”  

This operation is being handled by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office, the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI), the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Baton Rouge City Police Department, the West Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office, and the Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Office.  This matter is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Robert W. Piedrahita and Kevin Sanchez.

The investigation is another effort by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) Program which was established in 1982 to mount a comprehensive attack against organized drug traffickers.  Today, the OCDETF Program is the centerpiece of the United States Attorney General’s drug strategy to reduce the availability of drugs by disrupting and dismantling major drug trafficking organizations and money laundering organizations and related criminal enterprises.  The OCDETF Program operates nationwide and combines the resources and unique expertise of numerous federal, state, and local agencies in a coordinated attack against major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations.

NOTE: An indictment is an accusation by the Grand Jury.  The defendants are presumed innocent until and unless adjudicated guilty at trial or through a guilty plea.