McALLEN, Texas - Multiple men have been ordered to prison for a significant amount of time following their convictions related to drug trafficking, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.
Those convicted include Marcial Martinez, 37, Dallas; Saul Delgado, 31, Duncanville; Javier Del Rio, 34, Garland; and Mexican citizens Jose Adalberto Munoz-Mancias, 38, Cuidad Mier, Tamaulipas, Mexico; and Edson Roman Gonzalez, 37, Morelia, Michoacan, Mexico. They all pleaded guilty in either June or July 2019 to conspiring to possess with intent to distribute more than five hundred grams of meth.
Today, U.S. District Judge Micaela Alvarez ordered Munoz-Mancias to serve 360 months in federal prison. Already on supervised release for a previous conviction of illegal re-entry, the court revoked the remainder of that term and further ordered he serve an additional 24 months to run in part concurrent and in part consecutive for a total of 370 months. The court imposed respective sentences of 170 and 120 months for Roman and Delgado.
On Jan. 29, Del Rio was sentenced to 174 months imprisonment.
Judge Alvarez sentenced Martinez on Jan. 21 to a 25-year-term of imprisonment.
Martinez and Delgado will also serve five years of supervised release following their sentences. Del Rio will serve a three-year term of supervised release. Not U.S. citizens, Munoz-Mancias and Roman are expected to face removal proceedings following their prison terms.
When imposing the sentencings, Judge Alvarez noted the drug trafficking organization had been successful in distributing such a significant amount of meth, that it could have devastated many families.
On Dec. 3, 2018, Munoz-Mancias had siphoned a significant amount of liquid meth from one tractor-trailer to undercover authorities and instructed them to drive the load to Dallas which they did the following day.
There, Del Rio and Roman siphoned the liquid meth into plastic barrels. After it was removed, Delgado arrived and confirmed the delivery. Martinez subsequently arrived and paid the undercover agents approximately $20,000 for the transportation.
In total, authorities seized approximately 150 gallons of liquid meth which converts to more than 500 kilograms of meth.
All have been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen J. Rees prosecuted the case.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
