Jose A. Cordero, Cocaine Distribution, Missouri 2018
Kansas City, Mo. — A suitcase containing three kilograms of cocaine found on a bus traveling through Kansas City led to the guilty plea of a New Jersey man in federal court yesterday.
Jose A. Cordero, 31, of Jersey City, New Jersey, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance before U.S. District Judge Greg Kays.
The crime occurred on October 22, 2018, when officers of the Missouri Western Interdictions and Narcotics Task Force (MoWIN) were conducting interdiction activities at a Kansas City bus station.
During the operation, a drug-sniffing police dog alerted to a black Samsonite suitcase with a Newark, N.J., destination tag. Despite none of the passengers claiming ownership, detectives considered the suitcase abandoned and searched its contents.
Inside, they found three sealed mailing envelopes containing 6.63 pounds (3,009.73 grams) of cocaine. Further investigation revealed Cordero's DNA on the waistband of underwear and his fingerprints on one of the bundles.
According to federal statutes, Cordero is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in federal prison without parole, up to 40 years. His sentencing hearing will be scheduled after a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Bradley K. Kavanaugh. It was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the MoWIN Task Force, and the Kansas City Police Department.
Sergio Gonzalez-Bedolla, 24, of Chowchilla, California, was also on the bus and found with 2.8 kilograms of heroin in his backpack. Gonzalez-Bedolla pleaded guilty in a separate case and was sentenced to six years in federal prison.
Key Facts
- State: Missouri
- Category: Drug Trafficking
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
ðŸâ€Â’ Get the grimiest stories delivered weekly. Subscribe free →