DEL RIO A Midland woman and her brother, a Mexican national, were sentenced in a federal court in Del Rio to 262 months and 324 months in prison, respectively, for their roles in a drug trafficking organization (DTO).
According to court documents, Blanca Estela Maldonado, 54, of Midland, and her brother Federico Jose Maldonado-Aleman, 59, of Mexico, were part of a DTO responsible for trafficking approximately 79 kilograms of methamphetamine within the Western District of Texas between December 2016 and September 2018. The conspirators transported narcotics themselves and hired individuals to smuggle narcotics across the border, using Blanca Maldonado’s Midland residence as a primary pick-up/drop off point. Federico Maldonado-Aleman served as a supplier and facilitator of smuggling operations, a news release said.
“For two years, these defendants conspired as part of a Mexican DTO using one of the individual’s homes as a distribution hub,” U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza for the Western District of Texas said in a news release. “Thanks to the collaborative investigation efforts of our federal law enforcement partners, we were able to secure incredibly substantial prison sentences for six drug traffickers responsible for pushing dangerous drugs into our communities.”
“These significant sentences send a clear message to criminal organizations that there are serious consequences for trafficking-controlled substances,” said Special Agent in Charge Craig Larrabee for the Homeland Security Investigations San Antonio Division. “HSI will continue to pursue transnational criminal investigations to target dangerous individuals who threaten the security of the United States.”
“The collective number of years members of this organization will spend in prison shows our collective commitment to bringing those who bring devastating drugs to our communities to justice,” said Special Agent in Charge Daniel Comeaux for the Drug Enforcement Administration Houston Field Office. “These sentences will now serve as a clear reminder of the consequences of choosing to poison our communities.”
Four additional codefendants involved were sentenced earlier in the case, all for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Juan Francisco Guajardo, 34, of Eagle Pass, was sentenced to 262 months imprisonment on Feb. 4, 2020. April Sotelo, 42, of Seagraves, was sentenced to 262 months imprisonment on Dec. 7, 2020. Kenneth Ray Cabrera, 40, of Seminole, was sentenced to 300 months imprisonment on March 1, 2022. Agatha Marie Barrientez, 37, of Midland, was sentenced to 292 months on June 30, 2022. In total, the six co-conspirators received a combined penalty of more than 141 years in prison.
HSI, DEA and USBP investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tyler Fleming, Joshua Garland and Brett Miner prosecuted the case.
