Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) Investigation Results in Federal Charges of Drug Trafficking and Money Laundering Conspiracies against Prolific Methamphetamine Trafficker Tied to United Cartels

A federal grand jury in the District of Columbia returned an indictment against Jaime “Jimmy” Sanchez Soriano, 45, of Mexico, a prolific drug trafficker who imported vast amounts of methamphetamine into the United States. 

Before his capture on March 19 by Mexican authorities, Sanchez Soriano procured methamphetamine from Los Viagras Cartel, a notoriously violent drug trafficking organization affiliated with the United Cartels, which is among the world’s most significant methamphetamine producers, capable of manufacturing multiple tons every month. The United Cartels’ distribution network spans the United States, with hubs in Kansas City, Missouri, Dallas, Houston, Atlanta, Sacramento, California, Los Angeles, Denver, and Chicago, and extends to Europe, Australia, and other regions. On Feb. 20, 2025, the U.S. Department of State designated the United Cartels (also known as Cárteles Unidos), as both a Foreign Terrorist Organization and a Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGTs) pursuant to Section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act and Executive Order 13224, as amended. In August 2025, the Criminal Division announced criminal charges against several top leaders of the United Cartels and Los Viagras Cartel.

Sanchez-Soriano is charged with conspiracy to manufacture and distribute methamphetamine for importation into the United States, and money laundering conspiracy. If convicted he faces a minimum penalty of 10 years in prison and a maximum penalty of life in prison.

Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) is investigating the case. 

Trial Attorneys Roger Polack and Kirk Handrich of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section (MNF) are prosecuting the case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Missouri provided significant assistance.

MNF’s mission is to take the profit out of crime, eliminate drug cartels, and protect the U.S. financial system. MNF pursues criminal prosecutions and criminal and civil asset recovery actions involving: financial facilitators who launder profits for criminals; financial institutions and their officers and employees whose actions threaten the U.S. financial system and financial institutions; international money launderers who support transnational organized crime; and the top command and control of international drug trafficking organizations.

MNF’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Unit investigates and prosecutes the top command and control elements of international drug cartels, drug trafficking organizations and related transnational criminal organizations.

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.

An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. 

Two Criminal Aliens Convicted for Deadly Mass Pharmaceutical Scam

 

The United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued the following statement after a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) operation led to the convictions of two criminal aliens for running a scheme to manufacture and distribute millions of deadly counterfeit pharmaceuticals.

On June 1, 2026, a jury in the Southern District of New York convicted Francisco Alberto Lopez Reyes and Edward Eustate Jimenez, two criminal aliens from the Dominican Republic. They ran a scam manufacturing and distributing counterfeit pharmaceutical pills through fake online pharmacies. The pills contained fentanyl and para-fluorofentanyl, which resulted in the death of one victim.

The fake pills that the defendants tried to sell

Reyes was found guilty of serving as a principal administrator of a continuing criminal enterprise, conspiracy to distribute narcotics resulting in death, narcotics distribution, and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Jimenez was convicted of conspiracy to distribute narcotics resulting in death and narcotics distribution.

Francisco Alberto Lopez Reyes

Edward Eustate Jimenez

“Thanks to the hard work of the brave men and women of ICE law enforcement, these criminal aliens from the Dominican Republic have been brought to justice,” said Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis. “These criminals ran a deadly scheme to sell millions of counterfeit pharmaceutical pills and ultimately killed a person with their fentanyl-laced products. Under President Trump and Secretary Mullin, DHS will never stop cracking down on drug-trafficking and locking up those who profit off of bringing this poison into our country.”

“A unanimous jury found that Francisco Alberto Lopez Reyes and one of his deputies, Edward Eustate Jimenez, ran a massive, predatory scheme to distribute pills containing fentanyl and other drugs through fake online pharmacies, including pills that tragically killed a United States Army veteran in February 2024,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “For years, Lopez Reyes was a one-man opioid crisis, duping thousands of victims by distributing millions of pills through the mail from what he thought was the safety of his home in the Dominican Republic. The pills were designed to look like real pharmaceuticals, but they actually contained deadly fentanyl and other controlled substances. The scale of Lopez Reyes’s distribution is staggering, as is the scale of the harm his shipments brought to our communities. A jury has now confirmed what New Yorkers know: if you deal in fentanyl, you deal in death.”

Jimenez entered the country illegally at an unknown date and location. He was encountered by authorities in Arizona in December of 2022, and was RELEASED by the Biden Administration. Reyes was extradited to the U.S. on drug trafficking charges in October of 2024. They will be sentenced at a later date.

Under President Donald J. Trump’s Executive Order 14159, DHS and the Department of Justice (DOJ) are taking a whole of government approach by setting up Homeland Security Task Forces (HSTFs) across the nation. HSTFs will bolster the fight against organized crime as it creates a unified effort to fight the transnational criminal gangs and cartels that have led a reign of terror on our hemisphere.

NYC Council’s Latest Economic Forecast Projects Nearly $2 Billion More in Tax Revenue than Mayor’s Office of Management and Budget in Fiscal Years 2026 and 2027

 

Driven by stronger-than-expected collections in personal income and business taxes, stronger outlook enables City to fund major budget priorities for New Yorkers while bolstering reserves

The New York City Council on Tuesday released its June 2026 Economic and Tax Revenue Forecast, which estimates nearly $2 billion more in tax revenue for Fiscal Years (FY) 2026 and 2027 combined than projected by the Mayor’s Office of Management and Budget (OMB). The forecast, which estimates an additional $1.5 billion in collections in FY 2027 alone, was released on the second-to-last day of Executive Budget hearings for FY 2027 held by the Council. The updated forecast was driven by stronger-than-expected collections in personal income and business taxes, and represents an improved outlook compared to the last forecast issued in March.

The Council expects tax revenue to grow at an average rate of 4.3% annually through FY 2030, a projection that is higher than its previous forecast and OMB’s expectations. Robust aggregate wage growth, higher Wall Street bonuses along with capital gains realization, and recent economic and collections data contributed to the Council’s improved outlook. However, despite improvements, this growth is still lower than the 5.5% annual average tax revenue growth New York City experienced between FYs 2010 and 2019.

The Council’s forecast uses data from May and is more recent than OMB’s latest revenue estimates, which were based on data as of April. The full economic forecast report can be found here. The Council’s second-to-last Executive Budget hearing will be livestreamed here.

“From the beginning of the budget process, the Council has maintained a measured and consistent view of the City’s fiscal outlook, prioritizing the identification of savings, efficiencies and revenue generators as ways to bridge potential budget gaps,” said Speaker Julie Menin. “This updated forecast confirms the overall resilience of the city’s economy and provides an opportunity to more fully fund priorities that address the affordability crisis, improve quality of life, and support working families. Just as importantly, it allows us to continue building reserves and protecting the City’s long-term fiscal health. We can invest in New Yorkers today while planning responsibly for tomorrow.”

With nearly $2 billion in additional tax revenues projected over FYs 2026 and 2027, the Council believes there is sufficient revenue to set aside some of those funds into reserves, while responsibly funding its top budget priorities, including greater investments for college savings accounts through NYC Kids RISE, for the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection to support its expanded responsibilities, additional personnel to clean up and improve city parks, expanding the Fair Fares discount transit program, providing greater support to cultural institutions, and adding a fifth firefighter for dozens of engine companies. More funds for programs to financially support homeowners and provide services to help older adults through the Department for the Aging will also be sought. Recognizing greater than usual uncertainty in the economy, the Council is also calling for a meaningful portion of the nearly $2 billion to be set aside as the first deposit into the City’s Rainy Day reserves since 2021.

The Council’s tax revenue forecasts have consistently been closest to predicting the actual collections compared to OMB and other monitors, according to an analysis measuring the variance between pre-fiscal year revenue projections and actual collections at the close of each fiscal year. A prior analysis conducted by the City Comptroller’s office in 2024 had similar findings, showing the Council’s forecast with lowest variance, using a different methodology reviewing forecasters’ projections for FY 2024 revenues measured in early 2020 and early 2024.

Attorney General James Reminds New York Hotels to Help Prevent Human Trafficking Ahead of the World Cup

 

AG James Urges Hotels and Lodging Facilities to Post Required Human Trafficking Resources and Exercise Increased Diligence as Millions of Visitors Travel to New York for the World Cup

New York Attorney General Letitia James today took action to help prevent human trafficking and protect New Yorkers as millions of visitors travel to the New York region for the FIFA World Cup. In a letter to ten New York hospitality and tourism associations, Attorney General James reminded hotels, motels, inns, and other lodging facilities of their legal obligation to post human trafficking information cards and hotline resources in visible locations. Large-scale international events such as the World Cup can increase demand for hospitality, temporary labor, transportation, and nightlife services, creating opportunities for traffickers to exploit vulnerable people. Attorney General James urged lodging facilities to remain vigilant and do their part to help identify, report, and prevent human trafficking. 

“Human trafficking is a horrific crime that can hide in plain sight, and hotels are often on the front lines of helping victims get the support they need,” said Attorney General James. “As New York prepares to welcome visitors from around the world, my office is reminding hotels and lodging facilities of their responsibility to post critical safety information and help protect vulnerable people from exploitation. A simple hotline card in the right place can help save a life.”

The FIFA World Cup begins on June 11, with the first match in the New York area scheduled for June 13 and the final scheduled for July 19. As New York prepares to host World Cup visitors and related events, hotels and other lodging facilities will play a critical role in preventing, identifying, and responding to human trafficking. Traffickers may use the hospitality industry to move, control, or exploit victims of commercial sex or forced labor. According to the National Human Trafficking Hotline, between 2007 and 2017, 75 percent of trafficking survivors reported coming into contact with hotels at some point during their trafficking situation.

In her letter, Attorney General James reminds the hospitality industry that New York state law requires hotels, motels, inns, and other lodging facilities with at least five rooms for guests to post informational cards concerning services for human trafficking victims and prominently display the National Human Trafficking Hotline telephone number. These cards must be made available in plain view in public restrooms, individual guest rooms, and near the public entrance or another conspicuous location in clear view of the public and employees.

Attorney General James has previously provided lodging facilities with cards containing information about services available to human trafficking victims, signs of exploitation, and guidance on how to contact the National Human Trafficking Hotline. Potential signs of exploitation may include individuals who appear unusually anxious, fearful, or submissive; are not in control of their own identification documents or money; work unusually long hours; are paid below minimum wage or not paid at all; owe a large debt to an employer or another person; live and work in the same place; or perform commercial sex for another person’s profit.

The National Human Trafficking Hotline number is: 1-888-373-7888. Individuals can also text HELP or INFO to 233733 for help. More information on human trafficking can be found on the Office of the Attorney General’s website and through New York’s Interagency Taskforce Against Human Trafficking.

Mayor Mamdani: The World Cup Belongs to New Yorkers

 

Affordable tickets, massive watch parties, free fan festivals and more 

  

Programs to uplift small businesses, cultural organizations and immigrant enclaves 

  

Transit improvements, public space upgrades and a plan to keep New York moving safely

With the first NYNJ World Cup match set to kick off Saturday, Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani today highlighted his administration's efforts to make the 2026 FIFA World Cup™ accessible to every New Yorker — delivering affordable tickets, free programming across all five boroughs, protections for workers and immigrants, and a comprehensive plan to keep the city safe and moving throughout the tournament.  

  

“The World Cup belongs to New Yorkers,” said Mayor Mamdani. “There is no better place on earth to host the world’s game than a city where every nation is already represented, where every language is spoken and every cuisine is eaten. We worked hard to make sure this tournament isn’t reserved for those who can pay for prime stadium seats. From affordable tickets and free events in every borough to protections for workers and immigrants, we have made this World Cup worthy of the people who make New York the greatest city in the world.”  

  

A World Cup New Yorkers Can Afford  

  

Mayor Mamdani has been clear that every New Yorker should be able to experience and enjoy the World Cup. To make that possible, the Mamdani administration has:  

  

•   Secured 1,000 affordable tickets to the FIFA World Cup 2026™ for New Yorkers at $50 per seat, including free round-trip bus transportation to MetLife Stadium.  

•   Rolled out a free, citywide slate of Official NYNJ Fan Events across all five boroughs, bringing live match viewings, cultural programming, local businesses and interactive experiences directly to New Yorkers at no cost.  

•   Announced a free watch party in Central Park for the FIFA World Cup 2026™ Final. More than 50,000 people are expected to attend.  

•   Launched “Soccer Streets” to transform 50 streets across all five boroughs into daylong soccer pitches, block parties and community celebrations.  

•   Extended field lighting for an extra hour at more than 50 locations this summer, adding 4,000 hours of play on soccer fields, basketball courts and athletic fields.  

•   Opened “FIFA Arena,” a temporary mini-soccer pitch in Central Park offering free clinics, tournaments and open-play opportunities throughout the tournament.  

•   Debuted a new episode of “NYC Field Guide” focused specifically on soccer, highlighting soccer bars, neighborhood parks and perspectives from New York City FC, Gotham FC and others. 

•   Released a World Cup promotional video featuring U.S. Men's National Team star Tim Weah and Bronx-born Palestinian soccer pioneer Morad Fareed – who helped lead Palestine's historic first-ever World Cup qualifying campaign – celebrating New York City's place at the center of the 2026 tournament.  

•   Created a free events calendar and map to help residents and visitors find free and low-cost events throughout the city, available at nyctourism.com/worldcup26.  

  

Supporting Small Businesses and Protecting Workers and Immigrants  

  

With more than one million visitors expected in the New York-New Jersey region during the tournament, Mayor Mamdani launched new initiatives to drive foot traffic to small businesses, community organizations, restaurants and cultural institutions while ensuring  workers and immigrants are  protected, informed and able to fully participate in the festivities.  

  

The administration has:  

  

•   Launched the “NYC Neighborhood Passport,” in partnership with Team Wonder and the New York Community Trust, encouraging visitors and residents to explore immigrant communities, cultural institutions, small businesses and community events throughout the tournament.  

•   Announced hundreds of restaurants across the city will offer $26 drink and meal specials through the “Five Borough Winners Special” program, offering people reliably priced dining options throughout the tournament.  

•   Created the World Cup Business Toolkit and other guidance materials, reaching more than 56,000 New Yorkers through webinars and SBS outreach efforts, with a focus on immigrant business corridors including Jackson Heights, Little Haiti, Koreatown and the South Bronx.  

•   Promoted and protected the city's iconic yellow taxis by cracking down on illegal trips, establishing branded taxi lines at key locations for World Cup travelers and ensuring taxis are featured prominently in transportation messaging.  

•   Promoted the NYNJ Host Committee's “Welcome World Rewards” program, helping drive customers to participating small businesses throughout the tournament.  

•   Launched a sweeping “Know Your Rights” blitz to protect workers and immigrants . The Mayor's Office of Immigrant Affairs (MOIA) distributed a new bilingual "Referee Kit" — modeled on soccer's yellow and red card system and available in more than 10 languages — connecting immigrants with legal services, labor protections and domestic and gender-based violence resources while providing information on constitutional rights during interactions with federal immigration authorities.
•   Directed the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) to notify more than 77,000 licensed businesses of their obligations under workplace protection laws, launch targeted inspections and conduct weekly “Worker Rights Day of Action” series to educate 20,000 New Yorkers on their rights.  

  

Keeping New York City Safe and Mobile  

  

The Mamdani administration has coordinated with City agencies, state partners and regional stakeholders to prepare for an influx of visitors, while ensuring New Yorkers can continue moving safely and reliably throughout the tournament.  

  

The Mamdani administration has:  

 

•   Announced a Midtown transportation plan for each of the eight local match days, including dedicated corridors for buses and shuttles, restrictions on nonessential vehicle traffic, coordination with businesses to reduce truck deliveries during peak periods and expanded public transit messaging. Launched the most NYC Ferry service in city history, adding vessels and trips on high-demand routes to keep commuters, recreational riders and visitors moving reliably.  

•   Activated a unified citywide coordination structure, including the City’s Emergency Operations Center, to respond to operational needs and severe weather events.  

•   Convened interagency working groups focused on public safety, health services, transportation, infrastructure, events, human services, community engagement and regional coordination.    

•   Opened a Joint Information Center to provide clear, accurate and multilingual information before, during and after emergencies.    

•   Launched a dedicated Summer 2026 Notify NYC alert system, allowing New Yorkers and visitors to receive real-time updates throughout the tournament by texting SUMMER26 to 692-692, with options in English, Spanish and French.  

•   Established a Special Pathogen Response Team for high-consequence public health incidents.  

•   Prepared 11 NYC Health + Hospitals acute-care facilities to serve as cooling centers during Code Red heat emergencies and expanded outreach during extreme heat events.  

•   Coordinated with FDNY and DSNY to increase emergency preparedness, hazard detection and sanitation operations around transit hubs and major event sites.   

  

Building a Better City Beyond the Tournament  

  

Mayor Mamdani is delivering a series of permanent transportation and public-space improvements designed to improve daily life for New Yorkers long after the final whistle.  

 

The administration has:  

•   Created a new dedicated, center-running eastbound bus lane on Broadway in Queens to improve travel to LaGuardia Airport.
•   Launched a transformational redesign of parts of Ninth Avenue to expand pedestrian space, improve cycling infrastructure and extend bus-priority lanes.  

•   Announced a suite of bike lane and pedestrian space upgrades from SoHo and the East Village to Union Square, creating continuous north-south bike connections from the Brooklyn Bridge to Astor Place and Union Square.  

•   Established a new dedicated bike connection to the Brooklyn Bridge along Centre Street, creating fully separated bicycle and pedestrian access.
•   Began doubling the width of a popular protected bike lane on Sixth Avenue and expanding pedestrian space to improve safety for all users.  

Mayor Mamdani Cuts Ribbon on Affordable Co-Ops at ANCP Morningside, Highlights Homeownership Agenda in Block by Block Housing Plan

 

ANCP Morningside transforms three formerly abandoned buildings in Morningside Heights into permanently affordable, shared-equity homeownership opportunities for working class New Yorkers

  

Block by Block housing plan includes major investments in homeownership, resident-controlled co-ops and protections for existing homeowners

Today, Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani celebrated the ribbon-cutting of the ANCP Morningside affordable homeownership project and highlighted the administration's commitment to expanding for homeownership through Block by Block: The Housing Plan for a New Era.   

  

The ANCP Morningside project transformed three long-neglected buildings into permanently affordable, shared-equity cooperatives for working class New Yorkers. Mayor Mamdani joined City leaders, neighborhood residents and project partners Genesis Companies and Habitat for Humanity New York City and Westchester County to cut the ribbon on the development, which includes 36 affordable homes and two ground-floor commercial spaces. The project was financed under the Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD)’s Affordable Neighborhood Cooperative Program (ANCP), which rehabilitates and converts City-owned buildings into affordable cooperatives.  

  

Block by Block, released May 26, makes significant investments in affordable homeownership, resident-controlled cooperatives, community land trusts and programs that help existing homeowners remain in their homes. Investments in the Mayor’s Executive Budget will increase the creation of affordable homeownership opportunities by 85% over the next two fiscal years and establish Our Home, a new program that will build on the successes of ANCP to convert a wider range of buildings into resident-controlled cooperatives.   

  

The budget will also double the number of affordable homeownership opportunities created through the Open Door program and expand the HomeFirst down payment assistance program.  

  

“For generations, homeownership has been a clear path to stability, but it’s become out of reach for working class New Yorkers. Projects like ANCP Morningside show what is possible when we expand cooperative and community ownership and Block by Block will ensure more New Yorkers have the chance to put down roots and build a future here, whether they rent or own,” said Mayor Mamdani.  

  

“Our work to address the housing crisis is about more than just a place to lay your head – it is about ensuring that every New Yorker has a safe home where they can build a life. Through Block by Block, we are investing in affordable homeownership and co-op projects like ANCP Morningside so that even more New Yorkers can benefit from housing stability. This is just one piece of our work to treat the housing crisis with the ambition, scale, and urgency that New Yorkers deserve,” said Leila Bozorg, Deputy Mayor for Housing and Planning. 

 

“We aim to lead the nation in every area of housing — building neighborhoods for working people, preserving affordability, and even something that many thought was impossible: affordable homeownership,” said Patrick Love, Deputy Commissioner for Development at HPD. “By transforming three neglected buildings into affordable coops, we are investing in Harlem and enabling families to finally build equity in their neighborhoods. Thank you to Habitat for Humanity, Genesis Companies, and the Community Preservation Corporation for believing in affordable homeownership.”  

  

Block by Block also includes new measures to support and protect existing homeowners across the five boroughs. The plan creates the City’s first Mayor’s Office of Deed Theft Prevention and directs HPD to launch the Mortgage Assistance Program (MAP), which will provide repayable, no-interest loans to low-income homeowners facing financial hardship.   

  

The Mamdani administration will also strengthen the HomeFix program to help homeowners make critical repairs, publish a comprehensive homeowner resources guide and improve access to the Senior Citizen Homeowners’ Exemption (SCHE) and the Disabled Homeowners’ Exemption (DHE) programs, helping more New Yorkers remain in their homes.  

  

In addition, HPD, the Department of Buildings and the Landmarks Preservation Commission will provide financial and technical assistance to help homeowners create ancillary dwelling units (ADUs), making it easier to bring in extra income, add space for family members and age in place.   

  

Block by Block is the Mamdani administration’s strategy to tackle New York City’s housing crisis with the scale and urgency the moment demands. Beyond its homeownership initiatives, the plan outlines a path to build 200,000 affordable homes and preserve another 200,000 over the next decade. It also includes stronger tenant protections — including an overhaul of how the City responds to building code complaints — improvements for NYCHA residents, support for workers who build housing and reforms to streamline housing permitting and affordable housing placements.