Paublo Rueben, Narcotics Conspiracy, Texas 2022

Paublo Rueben, a 41-year-old Pharr resident, has been sentenced to federal prison for his role in conspiring to sell narcotics to undercover law enforcement, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. Rueben pleaded guilty to the charges on July 27, 2022.

According to court documents, during an undercover operation in February 2022, authorities negotiated the purchase of three kilograms of meth and two kilograms of cocaine from a narcotics supplier located in Mexico. They set a time and location to meet with Rueben and his co-defendant, Hector Vasquez Garcia, 46, of Alamo, who would be delivering the drugs.

On February 18, 2022, Rueben met with undercover authorities, where they discussed the transportation and compensation of the supplier. Shortly after, law enforcement located a vehicle in which Rueben had traveled, conducted a search, and found the meth and cocaine in a hidden compartment. Authorities then took Rueben and Garcia into custody.

The investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration and Homeland Security Investigations, with the assistance of the Live Oak County Sheriff’s Office, George West Police Department, and Texas Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorney Barbara J. De Peña prosecuted the case.

Rueben will serve 240 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release. He will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

Garcia, who remains in custody, is set for sentencing on March 29. The charges against Rueben include conspiring to sell narcotics to undercover law enforcement. The case highlights the ongoing efforts of law enforcement to combat narcotics trafficking in the region.

The sentence handed down to Rueben serves as a reminder of the severe consequences of engaging in narcotics trafficking. The community will be safer with Rueben behind bars, and we will continue to work tirelessly to bring those involved in such activities to justice.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdtx/pr/texan-gets-big-sentence-after-attempting-sell-narcotics