Nicholas J. Ganjei United States Attorney for the Southern District of Texas | U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas
Two individuals from Central America received sentences for distributing methamphetamine in the United States, according to U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. Sanmy Elieser Gonzalez, from Honduras, and Iris Graciela Hernandez-Castaneda, from Guatemala, had earlier pleaded guilty on August 25, 2022.
U.S. District Judge Diana Saldana sentenced Gonzalez to 60 months and Hernandez-Castaneda to 70 months in federal prison, respectively. Both, who are not U.S. citizens, are anticipated to undergo removal proceedings once they complete their sentences.
The investigation determined that Gonzalez and Hernandez-Castaneda were part of a methamphetamine trafficking network, receiving drugs smuggled into the United States near Laredo and subsequently distributed in the Houston area.
The Drug Enforcement Administration's Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation, named Operation Siete Pinguinos, led the effort. Assistant U.S. Attorney James Sturgis prosecuted the case.
The OCDETF is designed to identify, disrupt, and dismantle major criminal organizations posing threats to the United States through a cooperative, intelligence-based approach. Further information is available on the Department of Justice’s OCDETF webpage.
