EL PASO — 44-year-old Dalia Valencia was handed a 120-month federal prison sentence today, announced United States Attorney Richard L. Durbin, Jr., and law enforcement officials.
The sentence comes after Valencia pleaded guilty to theft of government property and conspiracy to violate the Racketeering Influenced Corrupt Organization (RICO) statute, which included acts of kidnapping, drug trafficking, and money laundering.
Senior United States District Judge David Briones imposed a concurrent 120-month sentence for the property charge and a 180-month sentence for the RICO charge. Valencia is also expected to pay over $80,000 in restitution and a $12,480,000 judgment, along with her brothers Emmanuel Velasco Gurrola and Samuel Velasco Gurrola.
In a related case, Emmanuel and Samuel were sentenced to life in federal prison for their roles in a murder-for-hire plot. The Velasco siblings were involved in a cross-border car theft ring and the international kidnapping scheme, where victims were held captive in Mexico until ransom was paid by their families.
Samuel Velasco attempted to kill his wife, Ruth Sagredo Escobedo, to prevent her from testifying against him in a state case. He succeeded in having her father and sister killed before they could reach Mexico. Ruth and her friend were also murdered during the trip to the funeral.
Dalia’s sister, Monica Velasco, remains a fugitive on charges of conspiracy to violate the RICO statute, money laundering, and drug trafficking. Anyone with information regarding Monica’s whereabouts is asked to contact the United States Marshals Service in El Paso at (915) 534-6779.
Related Federal Cases
Key Facts
- State: Texas
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Fraud & Financial Crimes|Violent Crime|Organized Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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