LAREDO, Texas – A 39-year-old woman from Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, has been handed a 48-month prison sentence for her role in a massive money laundering conspiracy, announced U.S. Attorney Kenneth Magidson.
Erika Alvarez, identified as the niece of the head of a drug trafficking organization, was ordered to serve her term to be followed by three years of supervised release. The court also issued a final order of forfeiture in the amount of $171,240.
Alvarez’s role in the conspiracy was that of a money courier who traveled periodically to the Dallas area to pick up drug proceeds and transport them in bulk to Laredo. She then delivered the drug proceeds to her uncle, Erasmo Trejo-Nava, who arranged for another co-conspirator to transport it to Mexico.
Between October 6-7, 2011, Trejo-Nava arranged for the transportation of $48,000 in drug proceeds from the Dallas area to Nuevo Laredo. Alvarez drove to the Dallas area in a personal vehicle and picked up the currency from a co-conspirator. She then transported the drug proceeds to Laredo and delivered the bulk cash to Trejo-Nava who arranged for another co-conspirator to transport it to Mexico.
On May 28, 2012, Trejo-Nava again sent Alvarez to Dallas for the purpose of receiving drug money. The next day, she received $73,240 in drug proceeds from a Dallas area co-conspirator for transportation to Laredo. En route south, law enforcement performed a traffic stop of Alvarez and recovered four bundles of bulk cash drug proceeds totaling $73,240.
A total of 20 defendants have been convicted for their respective roles in the overall conspiracy. A federal jury convicted Rafael Ortega, 57, of Laredo, and Baltazar Ibarra Cardona, 55, of Nuevo Laredo in the case. Ortega was ordered to serve 120 months in federal prison, while Cardona is awaiting sentencing.
The remaining 17 defendants had previously pleaded guilty and are also awaiting sentencing. Erasmo Trejo Nava, 44, Jose Angel Trejo, 43, Ovidio Rodriguez, 42, Victor Hugo Trejo Nava, 42, Francisco Colin, 42, and Salvador Saldaña-Medrano, 37, all of Laredo; Jaime Enrique Montalvo-Ruiz, 45, of Nuevo Laredo, Mexico; and Leocadio Ruiz, 48, of Dallas, entered pleas of guilty to conspiring to possess with intent to distribute more than 1,000 kilograms of marijuana and conspiracy to launder drug proceeds.
This case was 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.
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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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