CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A massive drug trafficking and money laundering operation in South Texas has been shattered as federal agents and local officers apprehended six alleged gang members. The ring, accused of moving more than five kilograms of cocaine and over 1,000 kilograms of marijuana, now faces a litany of federal charges that could land them life sentences.
Arrested were Rodolfo Hernandez Ramos, 40; Luis Ortiz III, 39; Florentino Galvan, 77; Antonio Saenz, 52; Guadalupe Gonzalez, 39; and Ulises Francisco Cortinas, 44. All are residents of Brownsville and McAllen. Emilio Garcia Uribe, 61, is considered a fugitive with an outstanding warrant for his arrest.
The group was charged with a drug trafficking conspiracy that spanned five years, from July 1, 2014, to March 13, 2019. They are accused of conspiring to conduct financial transactions involving the proceeds of drug trafficking, with the intent to conceal and disguise the nature of the funds.
Conviction on the drug conspiracy charge carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years up to life in federal prison and a fine of $10 million. The money laundering conspiracy could see them facing 20 years behind bars and fines reaching half a million dollars or twice the value of the property involved.
Ramos, who also faces 28 additional substantive money laundering counts, along with Ortiz, Cortinas, and Saenz, is looking at an additional 20-year sentence. The indictment also includes possession with intent to distribute charges against Ramos, Ortiz, Galvan, and Uribe, carrying potential sentences of life or up to 40 years respectively.
The Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force investigation, dubbed “Broken Blue Line,” was conducted by the DEA and IRS-CI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth Cusick is prosecuting the case. As always, an indictment is a formal accusation and defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.
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Key Facts
- State: Texas
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Fraud & Financial Crimes|Organized Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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