Texas Meth Kingpin Mendiola-Flores Sentenced to 12 Years

A 43-year-old McAllen man has been sentenced to 12 years in federal prison for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute meth, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.

Raul Mendiola-Flores pleaded guilty on February 22 to coordinating the importation of meth from Mexico with Mexican drug traffickers.

At a hearing, the court heard about his nine prior criminal convictions, including a felony possession with intent to deliver cocaine, for which he previously served five years in prison.

Law enforcement determined that Mendiola-Flores was in direct communication with Mexican drug traffickers to facilitate the importation of meth. In May 2023, Jorge Lopez, a 19-year-old U.S. citizen living in Reynosa, Mexico, imported one kilogram of meth from Mexico into the United States through the Hidalgo Port of Entry.

The Mexican drug trafficking organization communicated with Mendiola-Flores to arrange a meeting at a local convenience store parking lot in McAllen to receive the drugs. Lopez has pleaded guilty and faces up to life in federal prison and a possible $10 million maximum fine.

Mendiola-Flores 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 investigation, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Laura Garcia prosecuted the case.

U.S. District Judge Drew B. Tipton ordered Mendiola-Flores to serve 144 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release. This harsh sentence is a testament to the dedication of law enforcement to disrupt and dismantle the networks of those involved in meth trafficking.