Guatemala's "The Iceman," alleged drug kingpin, extradited to Texas after 8-year search, officials say

September 24, 2026 / 10:14 PM CDT / CBS Texas.

A plane arrived in North Texas Thursday night carrying a suspected drug kingpin from Central America, who federal authorities have been searching for for more than eight years, known in Guatemala as "The Iceman" or "El Hielero.".

He was one of four alleged drug traffickers extradited from Guatemala by Jay Combs, U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Texas, to face charges in the U.S. When a Drug Enforcement Administration jet arrived at McKinney National Airport carrying Juan Carlos Cruz Ovalle, it marked the end of a nearly decade-long effort by Combs to bring him to justice.