Henderson County Sheriff’s Office press release
The Henderson County Sheriff’s Office announced Wednesday a drug investigation that netted 2.5 kilos of methamphetamine across two counties.
According to the press release, on May 13, 2014, a combined task force of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies executed three federal search warrants and arrested two individuals, Uleyses Roberts, 45, and Diijon Howard, 25, in Henderson County. This operation was conducted pursuant to the federal indictment of Roberts and Howard for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in the Eastern District of Texas.
The investigation was initiated by Henderson County Sheriff’s Office Narcotic Investigators in early January 2014. At the request of Henderson County Sheriff Ray Nutt, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Tyler Task Force joined the investigation to spearhead a cooperative effort targeting the Roberts organization. Roberts and his associates had been distributing narcotics in Henderson County for more than a decade, and the coordinated law enforcement effort, under Nutt’s direction, resulted in the complete dismantling of this drug trafficking organization. The five-month investigation involved extensive surveillance and innovative investigative techniques that resulted in the seizure of approximately one and half kilograms of crystal methamphetamine, marijuana, firearms, and US currency. Additionally, pursuant to the arrest of Roberts and Howard, DEA and Henderson County Sheriff’s Office personnel developed information that resulted in the arrests of two men from the Dallas area and the seizure of an additional kilogram of crystal methamphetamine and a handgun. These additional arrests and seizures occurred in Kaufman County.
In addition to the Henderson County Sheriff’s Office and the DEA Tyler Task Force, other participating agencies included the Henderson County District Attorney’s Office, the Athens Police Department, and the Smith County Sheriff’s Office. This case is being prosecuted by the Assistant United States Attorney’s Office in Tyler.
The Henderson County Sheriff’s Office joined the DEA Tyler Task Force in November 2013. The Task Force is comprised of officers from the Gregg County Sheriff’s Office, Henderson County Sheriff’s Office, Henderson Police Department, Kilgore Police Department, Smith County Sheriff’s Office, and Upshur County Sheriff’s Office, as well as DEA Special Agents. Since joining the Task Force, the Henderson County Sheriff’s Office has been actively involved in numerous federal narcotics investigations that have resulted in multiple arrests and significant seizures of illicit drugs and assets.
“Working cases like this is the reason why the Henderson County Sheriff’s Office joined the DEA Task Force in Tyler Texas. It brings more resources to Henderson County to help with these types of investigations,” said Sheriff Ray Nutt.