Gilberto Gonzalez-Gonzalez, Cocaine Trafficking, Alabama 2021

A devastating blow to the cocaine trade was dealt in Alabama last year when Gilberto Gonzalez-Gonzalez, a 44-year-old Mexican national and resident of Houston, Texas, was sentenced to 121 months in federal prison for possessing with intent to distribute 16 kilograms of cocaine. The cocaine, estimated to have a wholesale value of more than $500,000 and a street value of over $6 million, was found hidden in a locked compartment of a flatbed truck Gonzalez was driving from Houston to Atlanta, Georgia.

The crime was uncovered on January 25, 2021, when Gonzalez was stopped by a Baldwin County sheriff’s deputy for a traffic violation on Interstate 65. A consent search of the truck revealed the hidden compartment containing the cocaine, which experts testified had a value of more than $500,000 wholesale and over $6 million on the street. The jury also reviewed evidence from Gonzalez’s cell phone containing images of cocaine and WhatsApp messages discussing ‘kilos’ and prices of cocaine.

The investigation, which involved the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office Drug Task Force, led to Gonzalez’s conviction for the crime in October 2021. U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama announced the sentence, which also includes a five-year term of supervised release, during which time Gonzalez will undergo testing for substance abuse.

Gonzalez’s codefendant, Daniel Eric Corona, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine in September 2021 and was sentenced to serve 70 months in prison in December 2021. Corona and Gonzalez lacked proper paperwork for the load they were purporting to haul and had no valid proof of insurance.

Gonzalez was ordered to pay $100 in special assessments. The court did not impose a fine due to the lack of financial resources from Gonzalez. This case is a stark reminder of the consequences of engaging in cocaine trafficking and the determination of law enforcement agencies to disrupt the trade.

The sentencing of Gilberto Gonzalez-Gonzalez is a significant victory in the fight against cocaine trafficking in Alabama. The defendant’s sentence serves as a deterrent to others who may consider engaging in similar activities.

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