Four people were charged for plotting the murder of a Drug Enforcement Administration task force officer Wednesday, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Texas announced.
A federal grand jury indicted Manual Garcia Gomez, 22, Jorge Humberto Velazco Larios, 27, Eva Denisse Gomez Garcia, 38 and Alicia Yuritzi Juarez Martinez, 31, for conspiracy to use interstate commerce in the commission of murder-for-hire.
Garcia and Martinez remain fugitives and are believed to be in Mexico, the U.S. Attorney's Office said, while Gomez and Larios have been arrested.
The two were in Johnson County Jail on a methamphetamine charge, according to the indictment, when Gomez allegedly told another individual in the jail that he wanted to "off" the DEA agent assigned to his case.
In phone calls with individuals outside of the jail, Gomez called an unindicted co-conspirator, confirming he wanted the agent murdered for a fee, which he set at $5,000 upfront and $15,000 upon completion, according to the indictment.
Gomez then called his girlfriend, Martinez, and his sister, Garcia, to arrange for the delivery of the murder-for-hire fee.
"The Dallas Violent Crime Task Force is dedicated to protecting our citizens. This includes ensuring the safety of our law enforcement partners," said FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge Matthew DeSarno. "The defendants wanted to harm a DEA task force officer and that is unacceptable. Fortunately, we were able to prevent a dangerous act from occurring and successfully apprehend a group of violent criminals."
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The indictment is an allegation of criminal conduct, and defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
Gomez and Larios were scheduled to make initial appearances before U.S. Magistrate Judge Renee Toliver, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
If convicted, both defendants face up to 10 years in federal prison. Had the murder-for-hire plot been completed, they would have faced life in prison.
