A federal judge sentenced a 51-year-old Mexican national to life in prison for conspiring to distribute cocaine and marijuana into the U.S. from Mexico.
Jorge Costilla-Sanchez, former head of the Cartel del Golfo, pleaded guilty to the charges in 2017, a Sept. 15 news release reported.
"This was a long, but very important case to the district and especially our partners in Brownsville," U.S. Attorney Jennifer Lowery said in the release. "The life sentence speaks for itself. Justice has now been served.”
“Today’s sentencing is the culmination of years of relentless work by Homeland Security Investigations and its partners targeting the Cartel del Gulfo,” Special Agent in Charge Craig Larrabee of HSI-San Antonio, said in the release. “This investigation highlights HSI’s dedication to go after cartel members importing dangerous drugs into our communities. This sentence will send a resounding message that transnational criminal organizations are being continuously investigated and their leaders will be brought to justice.”
Costilla-Sanchez made $5 million from drug trafficking, the news release said.
"He was ordered to pay a money judgment in that amount," the Justice Department said in the release.
During sentencing, U.S. District Judge Fernando Rodriguez Jr. noted "Costilla-Sanchez’s extensive involvement in trafficking illegal drugs into the country," according to the release.
"The court commented that during the 10 years Costilla-Sanchez was the head of the CDG, he lead a violent criminal organization, using guns and intimidation to maintain control of their illegal drug trafficking enterprise and resorting to violence and killing to maintain power," the release reported.
“High-ranking drug trafficking leaders like Costilla-Sanchez are not immune from facing stiff punishments," Daniel C. Comeaux, special agent in charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration Houston Division commented, according to the release. "Costilla-Sanchez brought poison to our communities, and our collaborative efforts with our local and federal partners brought him to prison. We will continue to aggressively go after any drug trafficking organization wanting to profit from our communities.”
