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Marijuana Kingpin Sentenced to 10 Years Behind Bars
A Laredo man has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for his role in a large-scale marijuana trafficking operation, announced U.S. Attorney Kenneth Magidson. Baltazar Ibarra Cardona, 55, was one of several truck drivers used by the organization to transport marijuana from Laredo to Dallas.
Cardona was convicted in November 2015 for his role in a conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute in excess of 1,000 kilograms of marijuana. On October 10, 2011, Cardona drove a tractor to a warehouse in Laredo and picked up a marijuana-loaded trailer to transport to Dallas. However, a Zavala County deputy stopped him between Carrizo Springs and Uvalde with an expired driver’s license as well as expired insurance on the tractor. A search of the tractor trailer revealed he was transporting 1,858 kilograms of marijuana.
The organization, led by Erasmo Trejo-Nava, used various stash houses and business fronts in the Laredo area to receive and prepare the marijuana for transportation via personal vehicles to a local warehouse where it was unloaded and reloaded onto tractor trailers. Cardona was willing to transport drug loads for $15,000.
Cardona’s sentencing comes after two other defendants, Rafael Ortega and Erika Alavarez, were also convicted and ordered to serve 120 months in federal prison. The remaining 17 defendants had previously pleaded guilty and are also awaiting sentencing.
The charges were the result of a long-term Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force Investigation dubbed Operation Trena Sin Trono spearheaded by the Drug Enforcement Administration, High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force and IRS – Criminal Investigation with the assistance of Homeland Security Investigations, Laredo Police Department, Zavala County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Lou Castillo is prosecuting the case.
Cardona will serve a total of 120 months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release.
Baltazar Ibarra Cardona, 55, of Nuevo Laredo, was one of several truck drivers used by the organization to transport marijuana from Laredo to Dallas. He was a commercial truck driver willing to transport drug loads for $15,000.
The investigation revealed that the organization received marijuana loads from Mexico and arranged to transport the marijuana to the Dallas area. The organization used various stash houses and business fronts in the Laredo area to receive and prepare the marijuana for transportation via personal vehicles to a local warehouse where it was unloaded and reloaded onto tractor trailers.
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Key Facts
- State: Texas
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Fraud & Financial Crimes|Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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