A major blow to the city’s illicit drug trade was dealt on August 2, 2013, when Juan Miguel Mendez-Velasquez, 36, a citizen of Mexico who most recently resided in Mexico, was sentenced for his role in a large-scale cocaine trafficking organization.
Mendez-Velasquez was found guilty of Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess With the Intent to Distribute Cocaine, a charge he faced since August 22, 2012, when he was charged in an eleven count indictment that named a total of ten individuals as members of the organization.
The indictment alleged that the organization was responsible for importing cocaine from Mexico into the United States, where it was taken to Salt Lake City, Utah, before being transported to the St. Louis Metropolitan area for distribution.
According to the Stipulation of Facts filed with the Court, proceeds from the sales of the cocaine were then transported back to the leaders of the conspiracy in Salt Lake City.
Of the nine individuals named in the indictment with Mendez-Velasquez, six others have entered pleas of guilty, one has been arrested and is awaiting trial, and two are fugitives.
As a result of the investigation, Mendez-Velasquez was sentenced to 57 months in prison, followed by two years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay a $100 special assessment and to forfeit $114,800.00 to the United States. A Judicial Order of Removal was entered, requiring him to be deported following the service of his sentence.
The investigation was conducted under the auspices of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), which brings together federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies to identify, target and dismantle large national and international drug trafficking organizations.
The case was assigned to Assistant United States Attorney Randy G. Massey for prosecution.
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Key Facts
- State: Illinois
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Organized Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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