A targeted operation by the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) has resulted in the arrest of three former convicts with alleged ties to transnational gang activity and human smuggling. The individuals, all from El Paso and under federal probation, were apprehended in a sting operation focused on disrupting gang-related criminal enterprises.

The suspects are identified as 27-year-old Arturo "Tadeo" Ramirez Manzano, 21-year-old Mario Ivan Ramirez, and 30-year-old Corina Hernandez. All three face felony charges for unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon and manufacture/delivery of a controlled substance. Additionally, Ramirez faces a deadly conduct discharge firearm charge related to a recent shooting incident.

During the execution of search and arrest warrants at an El Paso apartment complex, DPS agents seized two rifles and approximately one kilogram of cocaine. Ramirez reportedly confessed to his membership in the Paisa prison gang and his role as a coordinator in a human smuggling operation connected to La Empresa, a group known for facilitating illegal crossings between Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, and El Paso, Texas.

The operation involved collaboration between the U.S. Border Patrol alien smuggling unit and Texas Highway Patrol Troopers. All three suspects are currently in custody at the El Paso County Jail pending trial. The Texas DPS has not yet provided further comment on the ongoing investigation.