The Dallas Police Department, along with FBI Dallas, the Homeland Security Task Force, and other federal partners worked together to indict 19 defendants who officials say “operated one of the most entrenched drug trafficking networks in Dallas” between 2023 and 2025.
The defendants indicted include leaders Avery Wayne Davis, known as “AD,” and Sterling Lawrence Taylor, known as “Bo.” Federal prosecutors say they allegedly worked together with a group of others to traffic drugs like cocaine, crack cocaine, meth, and marijuana in and around neighborhoods in Dallas.
The 19 defendants were indicted on a total of 24 federal counts including conspiracy to launder monetary instruments involving drug‑trafficking proceeds, and possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking crimes, involving a .50‑caliber Desert Eagle and a .357 Magnum revolver.
“The proceeds were real, tangible, and damaging,” US Attorney for the northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould said. “Thousands of dollars in drug money, high value jewelry, and multiple firearms were seized.”
According to officials some of the places where drugs were trafficked included near parks like White Rock Lake, schools, community centers and next to homes where families live.
“There were numerous drug involved premises in this indictment,” Raybould said. “In fact, counts four through eight show that the defendants operated drug houses at five separate addresses… Roberts Avenue, Munger Avenue, Cedar Mountain Circle, Woodmeadow Parkway, and Abrams Road.”
Some of the alleged drug houses operated for years with three of the five clustered into one neighborhood in South Dallas, just a mile away from Lincoln High School.
Map of drug houses in South Dallas DEA
“That should be where kids play, and you can see surrounding the park, there are a number of single family homes, as well as apartment complexes…this terrorizes people,” Raybould said.
The indictment also states 13 of the 19 defendants have been charged while six remain at large. When the defendants were arrested investigators recovered a total of 28,000 grams of narcotics, eight firearms, and over 736,000 in proceeds.
Weapons, money, and drugs seized DEA
“We share a longstanding commitment to protecting our communities, and together, we will continue to aggressively target drug distribution in Dallas,” Special Agent in Charge of Drug Enforcement Division, Dallas Division Joe Tucker said.
Impact and message to families
Federal officials stand clear on their message: anyone trafficking drugs or bringing violence to Dallas will be investigated and brought to justice.
They also emphasize how they want to ensure that families can live comfortably in their neighborhoods without having to worry about what’s going on next door.
“Whenever the community is experiencing what they think is drug trafficking activity, please let the DEA know we will respond,” Tucker said. “Whether it's street level dealers or large drug trafficking organizations, we can coordinate with DPD and other partners; we will do our best to work as quickly as we can to rid those neighborhoods of that criminal element.”
The 19 defendants indicted are over the age of 18 and while prosecutors didn’t say where the drugs originated, they did say drugs are generally connected to cartels.
