TYLER, Texas – In a fierce blow against the illegal drug trade in east Texas, Francisco Antonio Soriano, a 38-year-old El Salvadorian man, was sentenced to federal prison for his role in distributing over half a kilogram of methamphetamine. The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney John M. Bales.
Soriano, who had been living illegally in Tyler, pleaded guilty on Sep. 21, 2012, to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Today, he was sentenced to 120 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Michael H. Schneider. Following his release from prison, Soriano will be deported.
According to court documents, Soriano conspired with others starting on Dec. 14, 2011, to traffic methamphetamine across the Eastern District of Texas. Soriano admitted that he was responsible for the distribution of more than 500 grams of pure meth. His actions were part of a larger operation involving Jose Lopez and Jorge Perez Sanchez, who were also indicted for drug trafficking violations.
Lopez was sentenced to 168 months in federal prison on Oct. 1, 2012, while Sanchez received a sentence of 30 months. The trio’s activities were investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Tyler Police Department, and the Smith County Sheriff’s Office, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Baldwin handling the prosecution.
This case is another success for the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), which focuses on identifying and dismantling serious drug trafficking organizations. The principal mission of OCDETF is to disrupt and dismantle the most significant sources of illegal drugs in the United States.
For the grimy details on this case, keep reading Grimy Times where we bring you the unfiltered truth about crime in America.
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Key Facts
- State: Texas
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Organized Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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