8 Laredo Men Sentenced For Smuggling Narcotics Into The U.S. Interior
Friday, September 20, 2024, 5:15 P.M. ET. 2 Minute Read, By Jennifer Hodges & Art Fletcher: Englebrook Independent News,
LAREDO, TX.- On Thursday, September 19, 2024, and today, eight Texas men appeared in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas and were sentenced for their roles in a conspiracy to distribute cocaine, heroin, fentanyl, and methamphetamine into the interior of the United States.
According to U.S. Attorney Alamdar Hamdani, all eight men, Hector Flores, 53; Aaron Elezar Pachuca, 30; Lauro Garcia, 31; Matthew Aaron Arce, 31; Javier Hernandez-Barajas, 71; Vincent Castro, 35; Jose Moises Cruz, 39, all of Laredo, Texas, and Ernesto Diaz-Velazquez, 41, of Forney, Texas, had previously pleaded guilty to the charge of Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Dangerous Substances.
Sentences Handed Down
On Thursday and Friday, U.S. District Court Judge Diana Saldana sentenced Flores to 171 months in federal prison. Castro and Pachuca were both sentenced to 120 months of imprisonment, while Hernandez-Barajas, Cruz, Diaz-Velazquez, Garcia, and Arce received 135, 130, 63, 70, and 70 months, respectively, in federal prison. Arce must serve three years of supervised release upon completing his prison term. Meanwhile, the other seven men were ordered to serve five-year terms.
During the hearings on September 19, 2024, and September 20, 2024, Judge Saldana heard additional evidence, including information about the organization’s extensive operations of the smuggling of narcotics from Mexico and distribution into the United States.
According To Documents Filed With The Court
According to documents and information filed with the court, an investigation uncovered that Flores and other organization leaders sourced illicit narcotics from a Mexican supplier. The organization brought the narcotics to a “stash house” in Laredo, Texas, that Flores owned, then separated and re-packaged the drugs and distributed them to various couriers in order to move the illicit narcotics into the interior of the United States.
During the investigation, authorities seized over 14 kilograms of methamphetamine, 12 kilograms of heroin, 10 kilograms of cocaine, 7 kilograms of fentanyl, and $8,000 in cash.
Additionally, the court ordered the forfeiture of the stash house owned by Flores that was used to traffic the illicit narcotics.
Following sentencing, Arce and Garcia were allowed to remain on bond and will voluntarily surrender to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility in the near future, while the remaining six have been and will remain in custody.
