Crestview drug traffickers indicted

Date: June 12, 2026

Contact: newsroom@ci.irs.gov

Pensacola, FL – Arzalea Teshean McLaughlin, Benjamin Eugene Mack, and Roger Cornell Daniels, all of Crestview, Florida, have been indicted in federal court on charges of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine and cocaine base, conspiracy to commit unlawful use of communications facility, and possession with intent to distribute cocaine. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced the charge.

McLaughlin, Mack and Daniels appeared in federal court for their arraignment before United States Magistrate Judge Zachary C. Bolitho in Pensacola, Florida. Jury trial is scheduled for July 20, 2026, at 8:30 a.m. before District Court Judge T. Kent Wetherell, II.

If convicted as charged, McLaughlin and Mack face a minimum mandatory of 10 years’ imprisonment, and up to life in prison, and Daniels faces a minimum mandatory of 5 years’ imprisonment, and up to a total of 74 years’ imprisonment.

This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Alicia H. Forbes.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General.

IRS-CI is the law enforcement arm of the IRS, responsible for conducting financial crime investigations, including tax fraud, narcotics trafficking, money laundering, public corruption, healthcare fraud, identity theft and more. It is the only federal law enforcement agency with investigative jurisdiction over violations of the Internal Revenue Code. IRS-CI has 18 field offices located across the U.S. and maintains an international presence through attaché posts abroad.