LAREDO, Texas - A Laredoan and a Mexican national have been ordered to federal prison following their pleas of guilty to possession with intent to distribute nearly 50 pounds of methamphetamine, announced U.S. Attorney Kenneth Magidson.
Gilberto Jorge Rodriguez, 48, of Laredo, and Andres Villarreal-Parades, 28, of Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, pleaded guilty Dec. 15, 2015, and April 13, 2015, respectively.
Today, U.S. District Judge Marina Garcia Marmolejo, who accepted both pleas, ordered Villarreal-Parades to serve a total of 168 months in federal prison and is expected to face deportation proceedings immediately thereafter. Rodriguez was sentenced to 78 months to be followed by three years of supervised release.
On July 28, 2014, Rodriguez was arrested following a routine traffic stop in Freer when a narcotics canine alerted to the presence of drugs in the trunk of his car. Law enforcement officers then searched the vehicle and found eight bundles containing 20.7 kilograms of methamphetamine hidden in the spare tire.
During today’s hearing, Judge Marmolejo heard evidence demonstrating that Villareal-Parades had recruited Rodriguez on at least three occasions to deliver methamphetamine that he had hidden in spare tires to various cities in Texas. After each trip to deliver the drugs, Rodriguez would return to Laredo and deliver the proceeds from the methamphetamine to Villareal-Paredes, at which time he paid Rodriguez $10,000.
The charges were the result of an investigation conducted by Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mike Eaton and Sanjeev Bhasker prosecuted the case.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
