MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WMC) – Federal prosecutors charged five people from the Mid-South with trafficking drugs.
The charges stem from a two-year long investigation by FBI’s Transnational Organized Crime Task Force and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Between April 2023 and March 2025, investigators say the five worked together to distribute marijuana, fentanyl and methamphetamine throughout West Tennessee.
Investigators believe they were working with the Sinaloa cartel to distribute the drugs in McNairy County and in Memphis.
The Sinaloa cartel has been designated as a foreign terrorist organization since February 2025.
These five were indicted on charges of conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute five kilograms of cocaine
Juan Palomino, 36, of Selmer, Tenn.Joaquin Elizalde, 44, of Selmer, Tenn.Javier Varela, 41, of Byhalia, Miss.Luis Lizarraga, 36, of Memphis, Tenn.David Asua, 46, of Memphis, Tenn.
Four were charged with conspiracy to distribute more than 50 grams of actual methamphetamine. Three were charged with conspiracy to distribute over 100 kilograms of marijuana. Two were charged withmultiple individual counts of distribution of cocaine, methamphetamine, and fentanyl, and one was charged with possession of a firearm.
“These defendants took part in a conspiracy that exposed our communities to significant amounts of Fentanyl, Methamphetamine, and Marijuana,” said Special Agent in Charge Joseph E. Carrico of the FBI Nashville Field Office. “The FBI and our law enforcement partners remain committed to identifying, disrupting, and dismantling any criminal enterprise that risks the wellbeing of our citizens.”
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Federal prosecutors charged five people from the Mid-South with trafficking drugs. Read More
