Mario Talavera Sentenced in 1,000-Pound Pot Bust

A U.S. citizen who lived in Juarez, Mexico, has been locked up for nearly seven years after being caught red-handed with more than 1,000 pounds of marijuana in Albuquerque. Mario Talavera, 34, was sentenced yesterday in federal court to 78 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for his role in a sprawling pot smuggling ring that operated across the Southwest border.

Talavera admitted in court that on July 5, 2008, Albuquerque Police Department (APD) officers pulled him over and discovered 495.91 kilograms — roughly 1,091 pounds — of marijuana stuffed into the bed of his truck. The bust was part of a broader investigation into a conspiracy that moved more than 1,000 kilograms of marijuana from March 2005 through September 2008, primarily in Bernalillo County, N.M.

The case exploded in September 2008 when a federal grand jury indicted Talavera and eight others on conspiracy and trafficking charges. A superseding indictment in October 2008 added two more defendants, bringing the total to eleven. All were accused of operating a sophisticated cross-border network funneling massive quantities of marijuana into the U.S. from Mexico.

Talavera wasn’t arrested until March 2015, more than six years after the crime. He pleaded guilty on May 27, 2016, to Count 2 of the superseding indictment — possession of marijuana with intent to distribute. His admission confirmed he was driving loaded with nearly half a ton of pot when APD stopped him during routine patrol.

Of the ten co-defendants originally charged alongside Talavera, nine have already pleaded guilty and been sentenced. The last holdout, Cruz Lopez-Acevedo, 41, a Mexican national, remains in custody in Mexico. U.S. authorities are pushing for his extradition to face trial in New Mexico federal court.

The investigation was led by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Albuquerque office and the Albuquerque Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elaine Y. Ramirez prosecuted the case. Federal officials stress that charges in indictments are merely allegations — defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.