LAREDO, Texas - The head of a large scale marijuana trafficking and money laundering conspiracy and 10 others have been sent to federal prison, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Abe Martinez.
Erasmo Trejo-Nava, 45, a Mexican National who resided in Laredo, was the head of a drug trafficking organization that received marijuana loads from Mexico and arranged to transport the marijuana to the Dallas area for himself and others. The organization used various stash houses and business fronts in the Laredo area to receive and prepare the marijuana for transportation via personal vehicles to a local warehouse where it was unloaded and reloaded onto tractor trailers for transportation to the Dallas area. Following delivery of marijuana loads in the Dallas area, the Trejo Nava Organization collected drug proceeds and arranged to have the drug proceeds transported by couriers via personal vehicle or tractor trailers to Laredo and on to Nuevo Laredo, Mexico.
Over the course of the conspiracy which spanned from June 10, 2011 through June 4, 2013, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agents made multiple seizures of marijuana that totaled in excess of 10,000 kilograms.
U.S. District Judge Marina Garcia Marmolejo sentenced Trejo-Nava himself to a total term of 187 months in prison. The court also issued a money judgement against him in the amount of $5 million. His wife - Raquel Margarita Ramos Jimenez, 46, facilitated money laundering and was sentenced to time served which amounted to 31 months. Additionally the court issued a final order of forfeiture as to both of them for three residential properties and a commercial property as well as separate drug proceeds seizures in amounts totaling $173,240.
His brother and Mexican national Victor Hugo Trejo-Nava, 43, coordinated the shipment of marijuana loads as did Jose Angel Trejo, 45, of Laredo. They received 130 and 121 months in prison, respectively.
Mexican national Jaime Enrique Montalvo Ruiz, 47, and Laredoan Ovidio Rodriguez, 44, used Erasmo Trejo-Nava’s service to have their marijuana loads transported from Laredo to the Dallas area received respective sentences of 144 and 120 months in prison.
Arturo Lozano, 48, of Kaufman, and Leocadio Ruiz, 49, a Mexican national who resided in Cedar Hill, worked for Montalvo Ruiz in the Dallas area. Lozano received and distributed marijuana was ordered to serve a term of 144 months in prison, while Ruiz received drug shipments and collected drug proceeds and received a sentence of 70 months.
Laredoan Francisco Colin, 44, provided tractor trailers and drivers to Erasmo Trejo-Nava; Mario Alberto Rodriguez, 30, of Laredo, was Erasmo Trejo-Nava’s worker and wrapped and loaded marijuana; and Mexican national Gerardo Moreno Recio, 50, was a stash house operator. Colin received a 50-month prison term, while Rodriguez and Recio were ordered to serve total sentences of 120 and 151 months of imprisonment.
Ovido Rodriguez, Mario Rodriguez, Trejo, Colin and Lozano received varying terms of supervised release to serve following completion of their prison terms. Not U.S. citizens, the others are expected to face deportation proceedings following their release.
Today’s sentencings brings to a total 26 defendants convicted and sentenced in the investigation which included four indictments.
The remaining defendants received sentences ranging from 12 to 120 months in prison for their varying roles in the conspiracy.
The charges were the result of a long term Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force Investigation dubbed Operation Trena Sin Trono spearheaded by the Drug Enforcement Administration, IRS - Criminal Investigation, High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force and with the assistance of Homeland Security Investigations, Laredo Police Department, Zavala County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Lou Castillo is prosecuting the case.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
