Cocaine Conspiracy Rocks Laredo, Texas
LAREDO, Texas – In a major blow to the city’s underground drug trade, five Laredoans have been convicted of their roles in a massive cocaine conspiracy. Alberto Sauceda, 38, Salvador Rodriguez-Fajardo, 38, Ricardo Garza, 39, Moises Andrade, 20, and Laura Rodriguez, 42, all of Laredo, face hefty prison sentences for their involvement in the lucrative operation.
According to court documents, the group transported five kilograms or more of cocaine from Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, to Houston and Miami on a regular basis. The operation, which began in 2008, was led by Sauceda, who admitted to possessing over four kilograms of cocaine in his Ford F-150 in January 2010.
A key aspect of the conspiracy involved the use of secret compartments in vehicles to transport the illicit substance. Garza, for example, utilized a secret compartment in a Home Depot parking lot to deliver cocaine to Rodriguez-Fajardo, who stored it in a secret compartment behind a stove in his house. Rodriguez-Fajardo’s wife, Laura Rodriguez, assisted in the conspiracy by carrying out tasks, including collecting money for the group.
Andrade, the youngest member of the group, admitted to transporting one load of cocaine on August 7, 2011, for which he received $500.
The convictions come as a result of a two-year Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force Investigation dubbed Silver Fox Hunt, led by the Drug Enforcement Administration with the assistance of Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant United States Attorneys James Hepburn and Elizabeth Rabe are handling the case.
Each defendant faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and up to life in prison and a $10 million fine. The United States is also seeking a money judgment in the amount of $2,408,204. U.S. District Judge Marina Garcia Marmolejo accepted the pleas and has set sentencing for April 30, 2013.
The Silver Fox Hunt investigation marks a significant victory in the fight against organized crime in Laredo, Texas.
Related Federal Cases
- Mario Urbina Pleads Guilty to Cocaine Conspiracy, United States, 2023 · New York
- Shannell Gosine, Conspiracy to Distribute Cocaine, Buffalo NY, 2023 · Ohio
- Lakeva Shillette Hill, Major Drug Trafficking Conspiracy, Texas, 2024 · Ohio
- John N. Lockett III, Crack Cocaine Distribution Conspiracy, OH, 2023 · Ohio
- Sanchez Latson, Conspiracy to Distribute Powder Cocaine, Shreveport… · Louisiana
Key Facts
- State: Texas
- Category: Drug Trafficking
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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