Gilberto Almaraz-Muniz, Conspiracy to Deliver Narcotics, Texas 2023

Ex-Mexican Lawman Sentenced for Narcotics Conspiracy

A former Mexican law enforcement official has been sentenced to 20.8 years in prison for leading a massive narcotics conspiracy that spanned across the Texas-Mexico border.

Gilberto Almaraz-Muniz, 56, was convicted of one count of conspiracy and three counts of possession with intent to distribute various controlled substances in April. U.S. District Judge Rolando Olvera handed down the sentence last week, citing Almaraz-Muniz's use of younger individuals to carry out the transportation of the drugs.

According to the indictment, Almaraz-Muniz worked with co-conspirators Pedro Venegas Jr. and Jetzrael Saldana to transport loads of heroin, cocaine, and fentanyl across the border. On March 10, 2022, authorities arrested Venegas in Brownsville after discovering 23 bundles of narcotics hidden in his truck.

The investigation revealed that Almaraz-Muniz had recruited drivers to take the drug loads past the immigration checkpoint for distribution in Houston and other areas. The scheme involved 'dry runs' where the drivers would cross the port of entry several times before hiding the drugs within the vehicle.

During the trial, witnesses testified that Almaraz-Muniz would ask Saldana to recruit drivers to take the drug loads, and that he would then arrange for the vehicles to be titled in the drivers' names. The scheme included two other notable drug seizures, including 83 kilograms of liquid meth at the Gateway International bridge in Brownsville on July 17, 2022, and a 24-kilogram seizure of black tar heroin in Robstown on September 26, 2022.

Almaraz-Muniz has been in custody since his arrest and will be transferred to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility in the near future. The Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation with the assistance of the South Texas Narcotics Task Force and Homeland Security Investigations.

The exact charges against Almaraz-Muniz were one count of conspiracy with intent to deliver cocaine, heroin, and fentanyl. He will serve 250 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdtx/pr/former-mexican-law-enforcement-official-imprisoned-hiring-drivers-transport-loads