Travis County Sheriff's Office makes largest meth seizure in over 20 years

The 15.5 kilograms of meth also reportedly contained fentanyl. 

Methamphetamine found by the Travis County Sheriff's Office.
TCSO

MYSA
By Cristela Jones
January 2, 2024

Central Texas authorities are reporting to have made the largest meth seizure in over two decades. The Travis County Sheriff's Office seized a large amount of methamphetamine from a man in August and launched an investigation into his alleged large-scale drug trafficking activities.

On December 19, 2023, Juan Jose Cardenas-Flores was indicted by a federal grand jury for violations of Title 21 USC Section 841: possession with the intent to manufacture, distribute, or dispense a controlled substance, according to a Travis County Sheriff's Office news release. The lab results of the seized 15.5 kilograms of meth had 87% purity, and TCSO field tests also indicated the presence of fentanyl, making this the largest reported seizure of methamphetamine by the TCSO Vice Unit in more than 20 years, the release noted. 

During the investigation of Cardenas-Flores, the Vice Unit also linked him to a reported robbery being investigated by the Austin Police Department. Vice Unit investigators worked together with APD robbery detectives and the DEA Task Force to uncover more information. Their work resulted in the issuance of a state robbery warrant for Cardenas-Flores and a search warrant, which were executed on October 5, 2023. 

The surveillance and arrest of Cardenas-Flores led to the seizure of meth and various firearms.