BROWNSVILLE, Texas – A notorious fugitive is finally behind bars after a decade-long investigation led to a guilty plea and a harsh sentence. Juan Becerra Vallejo, 55, a resident alien from Mexico who resided in Weslaco, pleaded guilty to possessing with intent to distribute cocaine in March 2012.
Vallejo was handed a total of 210 months in federal prison, followed by a five-year-term of supervised release, by U.S. District Judge Hilda G. Tagle. The judge noted that Vallejo exercised management responsibility over the property, assets, and activities of a criminal organization by arranging the transportation of multi-kilogram loads of marijuana and cocaine as well as millions of dollars in drug proceeds for multiple drug suppliers.
Vallejo was apprehended on October 27, 2011, after a lengthy investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). The investigation, dubbed Operation Hot Pursuit, revealed that Vallejo made arrangements with Noel Exinia, owner of NE and Family Transport, to transport approximately 234 kilograms of cocaine from the Rio Grande Valley to New York City.
Exinia, who was also a key figure in the investigation, pleaded guilty in 2005 and was sentenced to 600 months in federal prison. The investigation led to the seizure of $805,416 in illegal drug proceeds.
Vallejo has been in custody since his arrest and will remain pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility. The OCDETF investigation was conducted by the DEA, Cameron County District Attorney’s Office – Narcotics Division, FBI, Border Patrol, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, and the United States Marshals Service.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Charles Lewis and Israel Cano III. Vallejo’s guilty plea and subsequent sentence bring an end to a decade-long chase, and a reminder of the DEA’s commitment to taking down those who seek to profit from the illicit narcotics trade.
As the investigation unfolded, it became clear that Vallejo’s involvement went far beyond a simple cocaine possession charge. He was at the helm of a complex web of organized crime, using his management skills to facilitate the transportation of large quantities of narcotics and funds.
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Key Facts
- State: Texas
- Category: Drug Trafficking
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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