Laredo men sentenced for cocaine trafficking conspiracy
TWO Laredo men have been sentenced for their roles in a multi-year cocaine trafficking conspiracy, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Juan Jose Castaneda, 44, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine on March 4, 2024. His cohort, Juan Enrique Villanueva, 52, pleaded guilty on December 12, 2024.
U.S. District Judge Keith P. Ellison has now imposed a 168-month term of imprisonment for Castaneda, while Villanueva received a 63-month sentence. Both men must also serve five years of supervised release following their sentences.
The court heard that Castaneda managed a cocaine trafficking organization for several years, which included Villanueva and others. Judge Ellison considered the scope of the organization, which included trafficking tens of thousands of dollars’ worth of cocaine each month, and the substantial profits Castaneda personally earned.
Castaneda also fled from law enforcement and threatened a man with a knife in an attempt to avoid arrest. On September 16 and 26, 2024, authorities observed Castaneda and Villanueva transporting cocaine that was later sold. Law enforcement seized the drugs on these occasions along with additional cocaine at his residence weighing over 11 kilograms.
They also found over $40,000 in cash from cocaine trafficking that was seized and forfeited as part of the sentencing. The investigation revealed that Castaneda and Villanueva were involved in this conspiracy for multiple years.
This scheme included numerous co-conspirators and showed that Castaneda was making tens of thousands of dollars a month trafficking in cocaine that he used to make purchases of property, jewelry, vehicles, and other possessions. Castaneda was held accountable for 43 kilograms of cocaine he was known to have distributed as part of this conspiracy.
Both men will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the FBI as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation.
The OCDETF Program identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach.
Key Facts
- State: Texas
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Organized Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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