United States Attorney’s Office

Western District of Michigan

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Kathy Schuette

Tuesday, September 13, 2022 Phone: (616) 456-2404
WDMI.gov | @USAO_WDMI Email: kathy.schuette@usdoj.gov

EIGHTH AND FINAL DEFENDANT SENTENCED IN

NEW BUFFALO COCAINE RING

GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN — U.S. Attorney Mark Totten announced that on

September 12, 2022, the Honorable Paul L. Maloney, United States District Judge for the Western
District of Michigan sentenced Adrian Romero Antunez (35), a Mexican national in the United
States on a tourist visa, to 46 months in prison for his role in a conspiracy to distribute five (5)
kilograms or more of cocaine. Romero Antunez was the final defendant to be sentenced in a
transnational and interstate cocaine ring that centered around New Buffalo, Michigan resident Ivan
Huerta Hernandez (33). Through conduits in Mexico, Huerta Hernandez was supplied by sources
located in Chicago, Illinois, including Romero Antunez. Huerta Hernandez then distributed
cocaine to dealers in West Michigan and Northern Indiana.

On the morning of November 3, 2021, approximately 90 federal, state, and local law
enforcement officers executed arrest warrants and six search warrants in four judicial districts: the
Western District of Michigan, the Northern District of Indiana, the Northern District of Illinois,
and the Central District of Illinois. Investigators seized over 1.5 kilograms of cocaine.
Investigators also seized approximately $100,000 in cash, six vehicles, and two firearms.

The men who have been convicted of felony charges are listed below:

Name Residence Age Sentence

Ivan Huerta Hernandez New Buffalo, Michigan 33 87 months
Adrian Romero Antunez Chicago, Illinois 35 46 months
Henry Shavar Nichols Greenville, South Carolina 41 36 months
Marcus Jemel Johnson Benton Harbor, Michigan 41 46 months
Juan Martinez Camarillo Michigan City, Indiana 37 57 months
Donald James Rogers New Buffalo, Michigan 62 12 months and 1 day
Manuel Eudave La Porte, Indiana 54 Fine
Santiago Cardenas Michigan City, Indiana 41 Probation and Fine

For more information, please see the continuation in support of the criminal complaint
available on the public docket. United States v. Hernandez, et al., No. 21-MJ-551, ECF No. 1
(W.D. Mich.).
 In announcing the sentences, U.S. Attorney Mark Totten said, “The convictions and
sentences in this case represent a significant victory against a transnational drug trafficking
conspiracy.” He continued: “My office is committed to combatting large-scale traffickers who
bring these poisons to the Western District of Michigan. This prosecution demonstrates the power
of pooling the resources of federal, state, and local governments. Drug trafficking organizations
do not recognize political boundaries and we must continue to work together to combat drug
trafficking organizations across Michigan, the Midwest, and the United States.”

“An investigation like this can only be successful when law enforcement agencies at all
levels work together to remove those who pollute local neighborhoods with dangerous drugs,” said
James A. Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan. “This investigation effectively
dismantled a transnational, interstate drug trafficking organization that set up operations in the
New Buffalo area. The FBI will continue to work with our partners to rid the streets of these
criminals and make our communities safer for all citizens.”

“This sentencing should serve as a reminder that along with our Federal, State and local
law enforcement partners, DEA is dedicated to identifying, investigating and dismantling drug
trafficking organizations who look to profit from the suffering of others,” said Orville Greene,
Special Agent in Charge, Detroit Field Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration.

“The Berrien County Sheriff’s Office is honored to partner with the FBI, DEA, and other
law enforcement agencies to ensure that the residents of southwest Michigan and the entire United
States are protected from individuals and organizations that are trying to harm our residents and
citizens,” said Berrien County Sheriff, L. Paul Bailey. “The Berrien County Sheriff’s Office is
proud of the hard work and dedication of all law enforcement personnel who took part in this
investigation and brought it to a successful conclusion.”

The case was investigated and prosecuted as part of an Organized Crime and Drug
Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation that began in 2020 and has been led by the
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), United States
Marshals Service (USMS), Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), United States Postal
Inspection Service (USPIS), Michigan State Police’s Southwest Enforcement Team (SWET),
Berrien County Sheriff’s Department (BCSD), Pokagon Band Tribal Police, Michigan City Police
Department, La Porte City Police Department, and the Cook County Sheriff Department.

OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money
launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using
an intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and
local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. Additional information about the
OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

Assistant United States Attorneys Vito S. Solitro and Daniel T. McGraw prosecuted the
case.