Mexican national sentenced to 18 years in federal prison for drug trafficking and firearms violations in the Eastern District of Texas

PLANO, Texas –A Mexican national been sentenced to 18 years in federal prison for drug and gun violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.

 

Victor Manuel Navarette Roman, 28, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and was sentenced to a total of 216 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Sean D. Jordan on February 26, 2026.

 

According to information presented in court, Roman was a high-level source of supply for illegal narcotics, specifically fentanyl and methamphetamine, imported from Mexico for distribution in the United States.  A search of Roman’s residence resulted in the seizure of an AR-15 pistol as well as fentanyl and methamphetamine.

 

This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States.

 

This case was investigated by the FBI and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney William R. Tatum.