Texas man sentenced to 5 years in prison for drug trafficking-related charges

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — A Texas man on state parole has been ordered to federal prison for drug trafficking-related charges following an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Corpus Christi, the Duval County Sheriff’s Office and the Starr County High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force.

Branden Lee Narvaiz, a 35-year-old resident of Freer, was sentenced Dec. 6 in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas to five years in prison immediately followed by four years of supervised release for possession with intent to distribute a substance containing a detectable amount of cocaine. Narvaiz pleaded guilty to the charges Sept. 13.

On April 11, law enforcement officials stopped Narvaiz for driving on the wrong side of the road. During a subsequent search of his vehicle, authorities located cocaine, cash, scales and baggies. Following the return of a federal indictment, authorities arrested Narvais on June 14. During the arrest, authorities found cocaine, money and plastic bags in his possession. As part of his plea, Narvaiz admitted that he possessed 500 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of cocaine.

At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence that Narvaiz was on state parole for the same crime at the time of the offense.

Narvaiz will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Liesel Roscher prosecuted the case.

For more news and information on HSI’s efforts to aggressively investigate drug trafficking in Southeast Texas follow us on X, formerly known as Twitter, @HSIHouston.

HSI is the principal investigative arm of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), responsible for investigating transnational crime and threats, specifically those criminal organizations that exploit the global infrastructure through which international trade, travel, and finance move. HSI’s workforce of more than 8,700 employees consists of more than 6,000 special agents assigned to 237 cities throughout the United States, and 93 overseas locations in 56 countries. HSI’s international presence represents DHS’s largest investigative law enforcement presence abroad and one of the largest international footprints in U.S. law enforcement.

Source: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE.gov)