HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — Moises Gamboa, a 52-year-old Mexican national, stood before a federal judge today and admitted his role in a high-stakes marijuana smuggling operation that stretched from Rocky Point, Mexico, to Nitro, West Virginia. Gamboa pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting the possession with intent to distribute 100 kilograms or more of marijuana, a charge that could land him behind bars for up to 40 years.
According to court documents, Gamboa orchestrated the cross-border transport of 660 pounds of ‘very good marijuana’ in 2010, directing that the drugs be concealed within the walls of a motorcycle trailer. From Mexico, he coordinated with an individual who was later revealed to be cooperating with law enforcement. Gamboa confirmed he instructed the informant that the driver would make contact to arrange delivery — a fatal miscalculation that unraveled the entire scheme.
The driver followed through, informing the cooperating individual that he would arrive in Nitro on March 5, 2010. When he crossed into West Virginia, federal and local agents were waiting. They intercepted the trailer, dismantled its hidden compartments, and seized the massive stash of marijuana before it could hit the streets.
Gamboa’s plea, entered before Chief United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers, marks the culmination of a years-long investigation involving a web of domestic and international law enforcement agencies. The Putnam County Sheriff’s Department, the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team, and the DEA’s offices in Charleston, Columbus, Phoenix, Tucson, Chicago, Denver, and Hermosillo, Mexico, all played critical roles. The U.S. Marshals Service, Kentucky and Indiana State Police, Huntington Police, and Mexico’s Policia Federal Ministerial also contributed to the takedown.
Assistant United States Attorney Monica D. Coleman is leading the prosecution, emphasizing that the case is part of a broader crackdown by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Authorities say they are intensifying efforts to dismantle drug trafficking networks, shut down open-air markets, and disrupt the flow of narcotics through rural and urban communities alike.
Gamboa is scheduled to be sentenced on May 22, 2017. With no plea deal announced, he now faces the full weight of federal sentencing guidelines — a potential 40-year prison term for a crime set in motion over seven years ago. The message from prosecutors is clear: time doesn’t erase accountability in the drug trade.
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Key Facts
- State: West Virginia
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking
- Source: Official Source ↗
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