Marcos Gonzalez, a 62-year-old resident of Los Fresnos, Texas, has been sentenced to 188 months in federal prison for his role in a cocaine trafficking conspiracy. The sentencing took place on January 8, 2026, before Chief U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson in Madison, Wisconsin. After serving his prison term, Gonzalez will be subject to ten years of supervised release. He pleaded guilty to the charge on October 21, 2025.
According to court records, Gonzalez led a group that trafficked over thirty kilograms of cocaine from Mexico through southeast Texas and into Dane County, Wisconsin between December 2023 and June 2024. He coordinated with others to smuggle the drugs across the border and arranged for couriers to deliver them to coconspirator Ernesto R. Abeyta in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin.
Judge Peterson described the case as “very aggravated,” noting both the large quantity of cocaine involved and Gonzalez’s connection to a major criminal enterprise in Mexico. The judge also highlighted concerns about recidivism: this marks Gonzalez’s third federal drug conspiracy conviction. Previously, he served twenty-two years for a similar offense dating back to 1995 and was convicted again in 2003 for attempting to smuggle marijuana into federal prison while already incarcerated.
“Gonzalez is a career drug trafficker who leveraged his Mexican cartel connections to sell pounds of cocaine across the United States, including here in Dane County,” said Acting United States Attorney Elgersma. “Today’s sentence not only ensures significant prison time for the leader of a drug organization, but it also sends a message that the United States Department of Justice and its law enforcement partners are committed to using every legal tool available to disrupt and dismantle terrorist organizations that profit from addiction and violence. I commend everyone who played a role in bringing Gonzalez to justice.”
Coconspirator Ernesto R. Abeyta was previously sentenced by Judge Peterson on November 6, 2025, receiving nine years in federal prison for his involvement.
The investigation was carried out by several agencies including the Dane County Sheriff’s Office; Dane County Narcotics Task Force; Madison Police Department; Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation; Drug Enforcement Administration; and IRS Criminal Investigation division. Assistant U.S. Attorney William M. Levins prosecuted the case.
This prosecution falls under the U.S. Department of Justice’s Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative created by Executive Order 14159: Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF brings together multiple government agencies with an aim toward eliminating criminal cartels and transnational crime groups operating within or affecting the United States.
