Gomez-Castruita and Contreras-Rangel, Cocaine Trafficking and Murder, New York 2020

Two Mexican nationals, GERMAN GOMEZ-CASTRUITA and BENJAMIN CONTRERAS-RANGEL, have been charged with conspiring to import cocaine into the United States, among other crimes.

According to the US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York, Gomez-Castruita, 37, and Contreras-Rangel, 36, allegedly attempted to land a plane full of cocaine on a remote highway in Mexico and engaged in a shootout with Mexican authorities when they were confronted.

SEDENA Corporal Emiliano Medina-Ramirez was killed in the shootout, and three other SEDENA officers were injured. Gomez-Castruita and Contreras-Rangel were subsequently apprehended and charged in Manhattan federal court.

The defendants are charged with (1) conspiring to import cocaine into the United States, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison; (2) murder while engaged in a narcotics importation conspiracy, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years and a maximum sentence of death; (3) using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime resulting in death, which carries a maximum sentence of death; (4) using and carrying machineguns and destructive devices during, and possessing machineguns and destructive devices in furtherance of, the cocaine importation conspiracy, which carries a mandatory consecutive minimum sentence of 30 years and a maximum sentence of life in prison; and (5) conspiring to use and carry machineguns and destructive devices during, and in relation to, a cocaine trafficking crime.

The US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York alleges that Gomez-Castruita and Contreras-Rangel were involved in a brazen attempt to land a plane full of cocaine on a remote highway in Mexico and engaged in a shootout with Mexican authorities when they were confronted.

The case is being investigated by the DEA, and the defendants are currently being held without bail. The US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York is prosecuting the case.

Mandatory Facts: Defendant/Respondent: GERMAN GOMEZ-CASTRUITA and BENJAMIN CONTRERAS-RANGEL; Exact Criminal Charges: (1) conspiring to import cocaine into the United States, (2) murder while engaged in a narcotics importation conspiracy, (3) using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime resulting in death, (4) using and carrying machineguns and destructive devices during, and possessing machineguns and destructive devices in furtherance of, the cocaine importation conspiracy, and (5) conspiring to use and carry machineguns and destructive devices during, and in relation to, a cocaine trafficking crime; City and State: New York; Exact Date: January 27, 2020; Sentence or Outcome: currently being held without bail.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/two-mexican-drug-traffickers-charged-murder-mexican-soldier-and-conspiring-import