AMARILLO, Texas — Two men from Moore County, Texas, who pleaded guilty last year to federal offenses stemming from their respective roles in a marijuana trafficking organization, were sentenced yesterday.
Manuel Rodrigues Reyes, 48, and Maximilliano Gonzales, 50, both of Cactus, Texas, were sentenced by U.S. District Judge Sidney A. Fitzwater to 70 months, and 51 months, respectively, in federal prison.
Each pleaded guilty in September 2016 to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 1,000 kilograms or more of marijuana.
According to plea documents filed in the case, from approximately August 2006 through November 2015, Adan Reyes, along with his brother Guadalupe Reyes, operated a drug trafficking organization (DTO) that trafficked multiple thousands of kilograms of marijuana from El Paso, Texas, to the Dumas, Texas, area, and then to locations primarily in the Midwestern U.S.
Manuel Reyes performed various tasks for the Reyes DTO, including assisting in tracking marijuana loads from El Paso to Cactus/Dumas, and he would ensure the loads made it to the ranch near Gruver, where he would assist in unloading it from vehicles arriving from El Paso and onto vehicles that would transport it to customers.
Maximilliano Gonzales was a driver for the Reyes DTO. He drove marijuana from the ranch in Gruver to customers and was paid for each load he transported. He used a work truck with a welder containing a false compartment to transport the marijuana.
Reyes was paid approximately $1,000 per week for his services in working for the Reyes DTO, thus earning at least $150,000 during his employment. According to his plea agreement, Reyes agrees to forfeit $150,000 that represents a portion of the proceeds he obtained as a result of his criminal conduct.
Adan Reyes is currently being detained in the El Paso Division of the Western District of Texas where he is awaiting sentencing next month on charges related to his role in the Reyes DTO. Guadalupe Reyes has pleaded guilty to similar charges and was sentenced in November 2016 to 188 months in federal prison.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Texas Department of Public Safety, the Moore County Sheriff’s Office and the Amarillo Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Defendant: Manuel Rodrigues Reyes
Criminal Charges: Conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 1,000 kilograms or more of marijuana
City and State: Cactus, Texas
Exact Date: 2016-09
Sentence or Outcome: 70 months in federal prison
Dollar Amounts: $150,000
Related Federal Cases
- Guadalupe Reyes, Conspiracy to Distribute Marijuana, Texas 2016 · Indiana
- Manuel Guadalupe Garcia, Methamphetamine Trafficking, Texas 2016 · Arkansas
- Shannell Gosine, Cocaine Trafficking, Texas 2023 · Tennessee
- Cameron Nesbitt, Methamphetamine Trafficking, Texas, 2025 · California
- Johna Robinson, Meth Trafficking, Murder, Texas 2025 · Florida
Key Facts
- State: Texas
- Category: Drug Trafficking
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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