CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — A federal choose within the U.S. District Court docket for the Southern District of Texas sentenced two La Quarenta gang members to jail Jan. 19. The pair ran a large-scale drug trafficking operation in Southeast Texas.
Homeland Safety Investigations (HSI) Corpus Christi and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives performed the investigation with help from U.S. Customs and Border Safety Air and Marine Operations and the Corpus Christi Police Division’s Gang Unit.
U.S. District Decide David S. Morales sentenced Ricky Reyna, a 36-year-old Corpus Christi resident, to 25 years in federal jail adopted by 5 years of supervised launch for conspiring to own with intent to distribute methamphetamines, heroin, and cocaine. Reyna pleaded responsible to the fees Oct. 20, 2021.
Jayden Wandell Coleman, a 20-year-old resident of Corpus Christi, was sentenced April 20, 2022, to 121 months in federal jail to be instantly adopted by 5 years of supervised launch for his function within the drug trafficking operation. Coleman pleaded responsible to the fees Jan. 27, 2022.
A 3rd gang member concerned within the drug trafficking conspiracy, Fernando Martinez, a 44-year-old Corpus Christi resident, pleaded responsible to his function Nov. 23, 2021. He’s scheduled to be sentenced March 15.
Reyna, Coleman and Martinez are documented La Quarenta gang members.
“Immediately’s sentencing is one other step in the correct course in our collective effort to root out and eradicate the trafficking of illicit narcotics within the Corpus Christi neighborhood by gangs and different felony components, however there’s way more work to do,” stated HSI Corpus Christi Assistant Particular Agent in Cost Mario Trevino. “HSI will proceed to work alongside our legislation enforcement companions to aggressively pursue anybody who traffics these lethal substances to maintain them from poisoning our kids and destroying our native communities.”
On the listening to, the court docket heard proof that Reyna and his co-conspirators ran a 24/7 narcotics storefront that bought heroin, meth, cocaine, crack cocaine and artificial marijuana.
The investigation started in September 2020. It revealed the narcotics trafficking group used a Corpus Christi residence on Cortez Road to distribute meth, heroin, crack cocaine and marijuana. Authorities noticed Reyna, Martinez and Coleman directing folks to the drug stash home and coming into and exiting at varied occasions. The conspiracy spanned from Sept. 6, 2020, to Aug. 26, 2021.
Over the course of the investigation, legislation enforcement officers watched a lot of folks method and enter the residence, keep for a couple of minutes, after which exit the realm. Throughout close by visitors stops, officers seized narcotics originating from the stash home.
Authorities executed search warrants at 4 residences and a storage yard in August 2021. They finally discovered over 5 kilograms of cocaine, 4 kilograms of meth, two kilograms of heroin, 13 kilograms of marijuana and practically 200 grams of crack. In addition they found greater than $100,000, digital scales, a drug ledger, and loaded firearms and ammunition.
The investigation additional revealed that the boys communicated about shopping for and promoting narcotics all through the conspiracy.
“Immediately’s sentence sends a powerful message that our workplace will relentlessly work towards dismantling and disrupting native avenue gangs comparable to La Quarenta,” stated U.S. Legal professional Alamdar S. Hamdani. “Legal exercise in our neighborhood is all too typically fueled by drug traffickers, notably these affiliated with these such teams.”
“The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives wish to thank the U.S. Legal professional’s Workplace, Customs and Border Safety Air and Marine Operations, Corpus Christi Police Division’s Gang Unit and Homeland Safety Investigations for his or her continued partnership and dedication to combating violent crime,” stated Particular Agent in Fred Milanowski. “On account of our joint efforts, members of this felony group will not threaten our communities with their brazen acts of criminal activity.”
Reyna will stay in custody pending switch to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility. Assistant U.S. Legal professional John Marck prosecuted the case.
For extra information and knowledge on HSI’s efforts to aggressively examine transnational gangs and narcotics trafficking in Southeast Texas, observe us on Twitter @HSIHouston.
HSI is the principal investigative arm of the U.S. Division of Homeland Safety (DHS), liable for investigating transnational crime and threats, particularly these felony organizations that exploit the worldwide infrastructure by which worldwide commerce, journey, and finance transfer. HSI’s workforce of greater than 8,700 workers consists of greater than 6,000 particular brokers assigned to 237 cities all through the USA, and 93 abroad areas in 56 international locations. HSI’s worldwide presence represents DHS’s largest investigative legislation enforcement presence overseas and one of many largest worldwide footprints in U.S. legislation enforcement.