Nicholas J. Ganjei United States Attorney for the Southern District of Texas | U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas
A Laredo court has sentenced a Cartel del Noreste (CDN) operative to ten years in federal prison for involvement in a cocaine distribution conspiracy, according to U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Rebeca Guzman-Rios, 39, from Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, Mexico, had entered a guilty plea on August 30, 2024. U.S. District Judge Diana Saldana sentenced her to 120 months of imprisonment. Rogelio Garcia-Ayala, 65, an illegal resident in Laredo, also received a sentence of 60 months. As non-U.S. citizens, both are expected to face deportation proceedings following their sentences.
The case relates to an operation in April 2024, where Guzman-Rios was assigned by a CDN hitman to Laredo to assist in the sale of over 10 kilograms of cocaine. She crossed into the U.S. from Mexico and was picked up by Ana Maria Escobedo in downtown Laredo, who then took her to the drug transaction site. The cocaine was retrieved from a CDN stash house by Cesar Gerardo Rodriguez Salazar and Brenda Odet Nery Castro, and delivered to Francisco Herrera-Moresco. Garcia-Ayala drove Herrera-Moresco with the drugs to meet Guzman-Rios.
However, the transaction was abandoned when Herrera-Moresco believed it had failed. He left with Escobedo and the cocaine, leading to a police pursuit. During the chase, Escobedo attempted to evade law enforcement, discarding the cocaine before hitting a fence. The group was ultimately detained, including Salazar and Castro. Authorities also recovered the discarded cocaine.
“If you work with, work for, or assist CDN, or any other cartel, you will be arrested and prosecuted to full extent of the law, without exception,” U.S. Attorney Ganjei stated. “The cartels are not welcome in Texas.”
Prior sentences were handed down to Mexican citizens: Salazar, 42, received 87 months, Herrera-Moresco, 42, received 50 months, and Castro, 37, was sentenced to 30 months. Escobedo, 33, a Laredo resident, was sentenced to 65 months. All remain in custody.
The investigation was led by the Drug Enforcement Administration with assistance from Customs and Border Protection and the Texas Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorney Manuel Cardenas is handling the prosecution.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a federal initiative aimed at combating illegal immigration, dismantling cartels, and protecting communities from violent crime, utilizing resources from the Department of Justice's Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.
