A Laredo resident has been sentenced to 30 years in prison for smuggling methamphetamine into the United States. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Cornelio Aguilar, aged 31, pleaded guilty on July 9, 2024. U.S. District Judge Keith Ellison handed down the sentence, which includes five years of supervised release following imprisonment. During the hearing, Aguilar's criminal history was presented, including previous convictions for murder and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Judge Ellison emphasized the severity of the offense when delivering the sentence.
The investigation revealed that Aguilar imported two shipments of methamphetamine hidden in bags of charcoal using tractor trailers between January and June 2022.
Aguilar is currently in custody and will remain so until his transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility.
The Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation was conducted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations with assistance from Customs and Border Protection.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven Chamberlin prosecuted the case.
OCDETF aims to identify, disrupt, and dismantle high-level criminal organizations threatening the United States through a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven multi-agency approach. More information about OCDETF can be found on the Department of Justice’s OCDETF webpage.
