United States Attorney Kenyen R. Brown of the Southern District of Alabama announces that Telesforo Lozano, 60, of Torreon, Mexico, was found guilty today of two federal drug charges. Following a two-day trial, Lozano was found guilty by a federal jury of one count of conspiring to distribute cocaine and one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine. Senior U.S. District Judge Callie V. S. Granade presided over the trial. The jury heard evidence that Lozano was acting as a drug courier for a Mexican drug cartel and was hired to transport drugs from Mexico to Atlanta, Georgia. On Aug. 21, 2015, Lozano drove across the border from Juarez, Mexico into El Paso, Texas with 4.34 kilograms of cocaine concealed in a hidden compartment inside a black Ford F-150 truck. On Aug. 23, 2015, Lozano was pulled over for a routine traffic violation on I-10 East in Mobile County, Alabama by an Alabama State Trooper. A subsequent search of Lozano’s truck led to law enforcement’s seizure of the concealed cocaine, which had a retail value of approximately $500,000.
Lozano’s sentencing date is Oct. 12, 2016. He faces up to 40 years of imprisonment as to each count of conviction.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys George May and Sinan Kalayoglu.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
