El Paso drug kingpin Carlos Moreno-Reyes, aka Charlie Brown, 46, of Clint, was sentenced Monday to 17 years in federal prison — the final chapter in a sprawling narcotics conspiracy that pumped over $25 million in cocaine and marijuana across state lines for a decade. The sentencing marks the end of a case that dismantled an entire El Paso-based Drug Trafficking Organization (DTO) responsible for flooding cities like Oklahoma City with illicit drugs.
According to court documents, Moreno-Reyes led the DTO from October 2008 until April 2019, orchestrating the transport and distribution of massive quantities of cocaine and marijuana. He admitted to collecting approximately $25,587,400 in drug proceeds — cash smuggled in bulk across the Southwest corridor. The organization relied on a network of trusted lieutenants, including Jose Luis Ortiz-Valenzuela, aka Pelon, 37, of Avondale, AZ; Julio Adrian Terrazas, aka JT, 31, of Fabens; Edgar Sanchez, aka Siez, Chavalito, 29, of Fabens; Jacinto Olivas-Cervantes, aka Chente, Chinto, 53, of San Elizario; and Oliva Beltran-Paez, 33, of Clint.
Moreno-Reyes pleaded guilty on February 26, 2020, to one count of conspiracy to possess cocaine and one count of bulk cash smuggling. The charges capped a federal investigation led by the Department of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) El Paso, which peeled back layers of the organization through intelligence gathering and coordinated arrests. Assistant U.S. Attorney Andres Ortega prosecuted the case as part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation targeting high-level trafficking networks.
Other members faced stiff penalties. Sanchez and Ortiz-Valenzuela both pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess cocaine — Sanchez received 120 months in prison on March 11, 2020; Ortiz was sentenced to 96 months on July 17, 2020. Olivas-Cervantes and Terrazas pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess marijuana, receiving 30 months and 46 months respectively. Beltran-Paez, who handled cash logistics, pleaded guilty to bulk cash smuggling and was sentenced to five years of probation on February 28, 2020.
“I am grateful for the tireless efforts of our law enforcement partners as we work together to pursue not only individual drug traffickers peddling this poison, but also large drug trafficking organizations and their leadership,” said U.S. Attorney Ashley C. Hoff. The case underscores the federal government’s continued focus on dismantling cartel-aligned operations at the leadership level, not just street-level dealers.
“The Department of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) continues to aggressively pursue narcotics traffickers,” said Taekuk Cho, Acting Special Agent in Charge for HSI El Paso. “Our work is not done, and our resolve in attacking the drug trade and the cartels is as strong as it’s ever been.” The investigation exemplifies the OCDETF’s prosecutor-led, multi-agency model designed to strike at the core of transnational criminal enterprises.
RELATED: Carlos Moreno-Reyes Gets 17 Years for Cocaine, Marijuana Empire
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Key Facts
- State: Texas
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Organized Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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