Six individuals have been charged in an alleged multi-national drug smuggling operation that prosecutors say used a commercial charter bus to transport liquid methamphetamine from Mexico to Emporia, Kansas.
According to court documents, the operation was uncovered by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and a subsequent investigation.
Between March and April 2025, CBP noted a particular charter bus making multiple crossings from Mexico into the United States with few or no passengers. License plate reader data consistently showed the bus traveling to Emporia on these trips before returning to Mexico.
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During one crossing, CBP officers conducted a secondary inspection of the bus and discovered several aftermarket modifications, including bolts around the fuel tank that appeared to have been tampered with. Investigators learned the bus’s destination was a rural property located in the Emporia area.
The investigation culminated on May 4, 2025, when the bus again arrived at the U.S. border. A canine unit alerted to the presence of controlled substances. CBP took a sample from a substance found within the gas tank, which tested positive as liquid methamphetamine.
The bus driver was allowed to proceed, and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents followed the vehicle. The bus eventually arrived at the suspected rural property in Emporia.
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The Emporia Police Department, in coordination with HSI, arrested five individuals – Troy Wagaman, Omar Villa Carranza, Jesus Cruz Rodriguez, Moises Cervantes Sanchez, and Tiburcio Ayala Rangel – while they were either at the property or shortly after departing. A sixth individual, Elizabeth Benitez, was arrested at a different location.
All six defendants are charged with one count of possession with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. The charged individuals are:
- Omar Villa Carranza, 45, a Mexican national illegally living in Emporia.
- Tiburcio Ayala Rangel, 42, a Mexican national illegally living in Emporia.
- Troy Wagaman, 42, of Emporia.
- Jesus Cruz Rodriguez, 28, of Emporia.
- Moises Cervantes Sanchez, 67, of McAllen, Texas.
- Elizabeth Benitez, 33, of Emporia.
Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI), and the Emporia Police Department are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Trent Krug and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Taylor Hines are prosecuting it.
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