Homeland Security Task Force Investigation Leads to Arrest of Uncle & Nephew, Seizure of More Than 80 Kilograms of Suspected Cocaine

 

Two Southwest Ohio relatives were arrested by federal agents for allegedly conducting large-scale cocaine trafficking.

Damian Galan, 31, of Cincinnati, and Diego Galan, 19, of Fairfield, will appear in federal court today for initial appearances.

According to charging documents, agencies within the Cincinnati Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) received information regarding the Galans’ potential drug trafficking throughout the Southern District of Ohio and elsewhere.

Surveillance of the men and intercepted communications led law enforcement officials to a Holiday Inn Express in Columbus on May 9. Damian and Diego Galan allegedly traveled to the hotel in tandem and obtained four 17-gallon storage containers from two Hispanic males staying at the hotel. The storage containers were placed in the trunk and backseat of Damian Galan’s vehicle.

The defendants then allegedly traveled to Diego’s residence and Fairfield, where they moved the four storage containers.

Law enforcement officials executed search warrants at both Galan residences. They discovered four kilograms of suspected cocaine and a firearm at Damian Galan’s home.  The search of Diego GALAN’s residence recovered the storage bins – which contained approximately 77 kilograms of suspected cocaine – along with bulk cash, firearms and suspected methamphetamine.

The men were arrested in the early morning hours of May 10, 2026.

They are each charged with conspiring to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute cocaine, a federal crime punishable by up not less then ten (10) years imprisonment and up to Life. 

Dominick S. Gerace II, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio and members of the HSTF, including the DEA, Cincinnati Police Department, FBI, HSI and the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office’s  Regional Narcotics Unit (RENU), announced the charges. Executive Assistant United States Attorney Christy L. Muncy is representing the United States in this case.

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. HSTF Cincinnati comprises agents and officers from federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies.

A criminal complaint merely contains allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.