A 53-year-old El Paso man has been sentenced to 190 months in federal prison for methamphetamine trafficking and assaulting a co-defendant while in custody, announced U.S. Attorney Ashley C. Hoff; FBI Special Agent in Charge Luis Quesada, El Paso Division; and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Special Agent in Charge Kyle Williamson, El Paso Field Office.
Gerardo Paz will serve five years of supervised release following his prison sentence. The charges stem from an investigation by the FBI/DEA Strike Force into Paz’s methamphetamine trafficking activities.
On June 20, 2019, federal agents witnessed Paz transport and deliver approximately eight kilograms of methamphetamine to the El Paso residence of his co-defendant, Francisco Contreras. Paz later pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute more than five kilograms of methamphetamine on January 2, 2020.
On January 4, 2020, Paz confronted and physically assaulted Contreras in the detention holding facility’s visitation area. Contreras had earlier pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute more than five kilograms of methamphetamine and was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison followed by five years of supervised release on January 15, 2020.
Methamphetamine destroys lives and ruins families, according to U.S. Attorney Hoff, who added that those who peddle this dangerous, illegal drug in communities should know that profiteering from death and destruction will not be tolerated.
The FBI and DEA are working together to have a positive impact at the local level, said FBI Special Agent in Charge Quesada, who added that the sentencing of Gerardo Paz sends a strong and unified message that drug trafficking will not be tolerated.
The DEA is committed to keeping dangerous drugs and those who traffic them off of our streets, said DEA Special Agent in Charge Williamson. The sentencing of Gerardo Paz exemplifies DEA’s relentless commitment to dismantling major drug trafficking organizations.
Related Federal Cases
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- Francisco Moreno, Methamphetamine Trafficking, Texas 2016 · Texas
- Cameron Nesbitt, Methamphetamine Trafficking, TX, 2026 · Texas
- Cameron Nesbitt, Transporting Methamphetamine, Texas 2023 · Texas
Key Facts
- State: Texas
- Category: Drug Trafficking
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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