TUCSON, Ariz. – Ramon Antonio Monreal-Rodriguez, 36, of Vail, Arizona, was sentenced on December 14, by United States District Decide James A. Soto, to 152 months in jail and ordered to pay $151,000 in restitution to the U.S. Border Patrol for wage drawn whereas engaged in prison exercise. Monreal-Rodriguez beforehand pleaded responsible to Bribery, Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Cocaine and Marijuana, Conspiracy to Make False Statements in Reference to the Acquisition of Firearms, and Conspiracy to Present Firearms to a Convicted Felon, for his position in three separate conspiracies in two federal prison instances.
“The women and men of the US Border Patrol safeguard our frontier with compassion and dignity,” mentioned United States Lawyer Gary Restaino. “Most Border Patrol Brokers are wonderful public servants who diligently interdict contraband like weapons and medicines. For many who aren’t and don’t, the Bureau of Prisons has loads of room. Many because of our regulation enforcement companions on the Southern Arizona Corruption Process Drive and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives for his or her exhausting work in placing this case collectively.”
Between July and August 2018, Monreal-Rodriguez, a former U.S. Border Patrol (USBP) agent, was concerned in two firearm-related conspiracies whereby he each unlawfully bought firearms from federally licensed firearms sellers on behalf of different people and supplied firearms to felons, who’re prohibited from possessing firearms.
Whereas the investigations into the firearms conspiracies have been ongoing, Monreal-Rodriguez additionally conspired to import narcotics into the US from Mexico, from January 8, 2018, till his arrest on September 25, 2018. Throughout this time, a drug trafficking group he labored with smuggled narcotics throughout the border. Monreal-Rodriguez would retrieve the narcotics and take them previous the checkpoint a number of miles from the border — typically in his USBP automobile — after which transport the medicine to the Tucson space. He admitted to distributing 116 kilograms of cocaine and 107 kilograms of marijuana as a part of the conspiracy.
Moreover, Monreal-Rodriguez admitted to receiving money proceeds from narcotics gross sales totaling at the very least $1.2 million, which he transported to the United States-Mexico border after which handed off to different people so the money could possibly be smuggled into Mexico. In trade for his position within the narcotics conspiracy, Monreal-Rodriguez obtained money funds.
In violation of his duties as a USBP agent, Monreal-Rodriguez used his border patrol automobile and its radio to securely transport the smuggled narcotics and money proceeds. Additional, he was in possession of his service weapon when he picked up the narcotics and dropped off the drug proceeds.
This case was investigated by the Southern Arizona Corruption Process Drive (SACTF) and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. The SACTF is comprised of members from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Division of Homeland Safety – Workplace of Inspector Normal, Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Workplace of Skilled Accountability, Customs and Border Safety – Workplace of Skilled Accountability, the Tucson Police Division, and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
The US Lawyer’s Workplace, District of Arizona, Tucson, dealt with the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-18-02215-TUC-JAS-1
CR-18-01905-TUC-JAS-1
RELEASE NUMBER: 2022-133_Monreal-Rodriguez
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For extra info on the U.S. Lawyer’s Workplace, District of Arizona, go to http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
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