An inmate in federal prison was sentenced on July 28 for drug conspiracy after coordinating the delivery of nearly five kilograms of cocaine to the Tulsa area, according to an announcement by U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.
U.S. District Judge John D. Russell sentenced Rafael Gonzalez, 33, to 180 months imprisonment and five years of supervised release. Gonzalez will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons, and this sentence is set to run consecutively to his previous federal case involving methamphetamine distribution from the Department of Corrections.
The Drug Enforcement Administration began investigating individuals transporting large quantities of methamphetamine and cocaine from Mexico into Tulsa in 2023. The investigation revealed that Gonzalez coordinated with other inmates and individuals outside prison to distribute both substances. Court documents show he managed deliveries of nearly five kilograms of cocaine into Tulsa and directed drug proceeds to various locations in Texas.
This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The task force focuses on eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling rings operating within the United States and abroad. It emphasizes prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or crimes involving children, and removing violent criminal aliens from the country.
The Homeland Security Task Force in Tulsa includes agents from multiple agencies such as the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigations, FBI, Bureau of Prisons, Tulsa Police Department, and Tulsa County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Nasar led this prosecution for the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Oklahoma.
The U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Oklahoma contributes to community safety through enforcement efforts; it is part of the U.S. Department of Justice with more than 65 Assistant United States Attorneys on staff serving eleven counties including Tulsa County through impartial litigation and strategic partnerships, according to its official website.