Christopher Lee Serrano, Pedro Vasquez Cavazos, Conspiracy to Distribute Cocaine, Kentucky 2018

LONDON, Ky.

Two Texas men, Christopher Lee Serrano and Pedro Vasquez Cavazos, have been sentenced to federal prison for their role in a cocaine conspiracy that landed nearly five kilograms of the drug in Laurel County, Kentucky.

The men, both with prior federal felony drug trafficking convictions, were sentenced by United States District Judge Robert E. Wier on Thursday. Serrano, 45, of Austin, Texas, received a 262-month sentence, while Cavazos, 63, of Mercedes, Texas, was sentenced to 120 months.

The pair had hidden nearly 5 kilograms of cocaine in a speaker box under the passenger seat of Serrano’s Chevy truck, which was seized by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in February 2018. The investigation found that Serrano and Cavazos had assured a buyer that they could fulfill bi-weekly deliveries of similar amounts.

According to court documents, Serrano and Cavazos orchestrated the delivery of the cocaine to Laurel County, Kentucky for distribution. They entered pleas of guilty in November 2018, admitting to their involvement in the conspiracy.

Both men will serve 85 percent of their prison sentences and will be under the supervision of the United States Probation Office for eight years upon their release. The case was investigated by the FBI, London Police Department, and Kentucky State Police, with the United States represented by Assistant United States Attorney Jenna E. Reed.

The sentencing is a significant blow to those involved in the cocaine trade in Kentucky. The investigation and subsequent sentencing demonstrate the commitment of law enforcement agencies to disrupting and dismantling these organizations.