Nicholas J. Ganjei United States Attorney for the Southern District of Texas | U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas
Four individuals from Mexico have been sentenced for their involvement in a cocaine smuggling operation, according to U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. Bolivar Ramos-Barragan, Angel Ramirez-Serna, and Claudia Contreras-Viveros, all of Mexico, had previously pleaded guilty to their roles in the conspiracy that involved over 100 kilograms of cocaine.
U.S. District Judge Drew B. Tipton sentenced Ramos-Barragan to 70 months in prison. Ramirez-Serna and Contreras-Viveros received sentences of 36 and 50 months, respectively. As they are not U.S. citizens, they are expected to face removal proceedings after serving their sentences.
Victor Aguilar, also from Mexico, had already been sentenced to 127 months of imprisonment for his part in the scheme. The investigation revealed that, during 2022 and 2023, these individuals smuggled multi-kilogram quantities of cocaine from Mexico into the United States. The drugs were transported using vehicles, stored in stash houses, and distributed further.
Authorities arrested Ramirez-Serna in December 2022 while he was in possession of eight kilograms of cocaine. In January, Filiberto Elizalde-Hernandez delivered the same quantity of cocaine to Contreras-Viveros and her husband, Aguilar. Ramos-Barragan was reported to oversee the drug transfers and distribution during these events.
The co-conspirators handled over 100 kilograms of cocaine throughout several months, investigators found. Sentencing for Elizalde-Hernandez is scheduled for April 28. Meanwhile, Ramos-Barragan, Ramirez-Serna, and Contreras-Viveros will remain in custody until they are transferred to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility, which is yet to be decided.
The Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation with assistance from the Edinburg Police Department and the Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Office. The OCDETF program aims to identify and dismantle high-level criminal organizations that pose threats to the United States through a coordinated multi-agency approach.
Assistant U.S. Attorney James Sturgis prosecuted the case.
