Nine Texas individuals were arrested this week in Houston on criminal charges related to their alleged involvement in the unlawful distribution of 1.5 million opioid pills and other controlled substances.

The pharmacies alleged in the indictments to have been controlled by the defendants’ drug trafficking organizations are K Med Pharmacy, Nex Gen Pharmacy, TX United Pharmacy, Power Center Pharmacy #2, DR Pharmacy, and Nu Care Pharmacy. Several other pharmacies, including P&A Pharmacy and Pearland Holistic Pharmacy, voluntarily surrendered their DEA Registration numbers, which a pharmacy needs to legally purchase pharmaceutical opioids and other controlled substances.

Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, DEA Administrator Anne Milgram, Special Agent in Charge James H. Smith III of the FBI Houston Field Office, Chief William Marlowe of the Texas Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (MFCU), Acting Special Agent in Charge Scott Pierce of the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General (USPS-OIG), and Acting Inspector in Charge Dana Carter of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) Houston Division made the announcement.

The DEA, FBI, MFCU, USPS-OIG, and USPIS are investigating the cases.

Trial Attorney Drew Pennebaker of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section is prosecuting the cases.

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