The Public Ministry of Guatemala, in close coordination with the National Civil Police, has successfully apprehended Honduran national Evelin Gilberto Herrera, alias “Negro Tomasa,” also known as Mateo Fernando Morales Martínez. Herrera is the 18th extraditable individual arrested in 2025 as part of ongoing efforts to combat transnational organized crime.

The arrest was executed at kilometer 169.5 in the jurisdiction of Chiquimula, Guatemala, during a targeted operation aimed at disrupting narcotics trafficking networks operating throughout the region.

Herrera is wanted by the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas on the following charges:

1. Conspiracy to manufacture and distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine, knowing and intending that the substance would be unlawfully imported into the United States.

2. Manufacture and distribution of five kilograms or more of cocaine.

According to intelligence and investigative findings, Herrera played a central role in a transnational criminal enterprise responsible for orchestrating the transport and distribution of cocaine from South America through Central America and into the United States. From 2013 to April 2024, he managed and directed complex trafficking operations across Honduras, Guatemala, and neighboring countries.

This arrest underscores the strong bilateral cooperation between Guatemalan law enforcement agencies and U.S. counterparts in the ongoing effort to dismantle drug trafficking organizations and uphold the rule of law. The Public Ministry remains committed to leveraging international partnerships to bring transnational criminals to justice and protect public safety.

July 1, 2025