Shannell Gosine, a 28-year-old resident of Houston, Texas, pleaded guilty on Mar. 18 to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine. The plea was entered before U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo and carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison, with a maximum possible sentence of life and a fine up to $10 million.
The case highlights ongoing efforts by federal authorities to combat large-scale drug trafficking operations that span multiple states and originate outside the United States. According to U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo, Gosine conspired with others between April 2023 and February 20, 2025, to distribute cocaine sourced from Mexico and transported from Texas to various locations across the country, including Buffalo.
Prosecutors said Gosine acted as both a courier for bulk cocaine shipments and as the receiver responsible for counting large sums of currency generated by drug sales. She made several trips delivering cocaine to Buffalo and returned with cash proceeds back to Texas. Law enforcement agencies seized significant quantities of drugs and money during the investigation: nearly 19 kilograms of cocaine were confiscated in Ohio in April 2023; $100,000 in cash was seized from Gosine and an associate in Tennessee in December 2023; and over nine kilograms of cocaine along with more than three kilograms of methamphetamine were found during a traffic stop in Ontario County, New York, in May 2024.
Gosine was arrested alongside six other individuals in April 2025. She is the second person convicted among those charged.
This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force initiative established by Executive Order 14159, which aims to dismantle criminal cartels and transnational organizations operating within the United States. The task force brings together multiple law enforcement agencies—including Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), local sheriff’s offices, judicial task forces from Tennessee, as well as HSI units based in New York and Texas—to investigate these crimes.
Sentencing for Gosine is scheduled for September 28 at 9:30 a.m., before Judge Vilardo.
