Source: Office of United States Attorneys
LAREDO, Texas – A 41-year-old Donna resident has been ordered to federal prison for conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute more than 500 grams of meth, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Rafael Leal pleaded guilty April 11, 2023.
U.S. District Judge Diana Saldana has now ordered Leal to serve 135 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by five years of supervised release.
In October 2020, law enforcement conducted an investigation into a drug trafficking organization that was attempting to distribute a significant amount of liquid meth from the Rio Grande Valley area to Dallas. During that time, authorities conducted a traffic stop and apprehended Leal as he attempted to transport the narcotics.
Leal will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation with the assistance of Customs Border and Protection and Texas Department of Public Saftery. OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found on the Department of Justice’s OCDETF webpage.
Assistant U.S. Attorney James Sturgis prosecuted the case.