Port Arthur Man Sentenced to 14 Years in Federal Meth Trafficking Case

A Port Arthur man has been sentenced to more than 14 years in federal prison for trafficking methamphetamine in the Eastern District of Texas, according to Acting U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.

James Frank Collins, 45, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and received a 175-month sentence from U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone on October 29, 2025.

Investigators began looking into Collins in July 2023, conducting controlled drug buys and later serving a search warrant at his home, where they seized multiple types of narcotics. On November 2, 2023, Collins was pulled over for several traffic violations. Officers reported smelling marijuana from inside the vehicle, leading to a search. They recovered a large amount of cash and about 800 pills that tested positive for methamphetamine.

The case falls under Operation Take Back America, a national Department of Justice initiative aimed at dismantling cartels, transnational criminal organizations, and violent crime networks. The effort coordinates resources from the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhoods.

The investigation was led by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Port Arthur Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Russell James prosecuted the case.