Rudolfo Ledesma Castaneda Jr. Gets 30 Years for Meth Ring

LUBBOCK, Texas — Rudolfo Ledesma Castaneda, Jr., 31, was handed 360 months in federal prison today after pleading guilty to distributing and possessing with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. The sentence, delivered by Senior U.S. District Judge Sam R. Cummings, caps a sprawling federal crackdown on a San Angelo-based drug trafficking organization that flooded Central Texas with high-purity crystal meth.

Castaneda was the ringleader of a 12-member DTO dismantled in July 2016 during a joint operation led by the DEA, Texas Department of Public Safety, and San Angelo Police Department. The sweep, part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) initiative, brought down a network that operated through encrypted communications, stash houses, and armed enforcers. Eleven of the twelve defendants have since been convicted; ten have been sentenced.

Among the most severe penalties: Jesse Huerra, 31, of San Angelo, received life in prison after being convicted at trial in September 2016 on charges including possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, firearm possession in furtherance of a drug crime, and being a felon in possession of firearms. Antonio N. Flores, 52, got 70 months for two counts of unlawful use of a communications facility. Rudolfo Velasquez, 32, was sentenced to 60 months for possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

Nancy Ann Flores, 41, was sentenced to 15 months for unlawful use of a communications facility. Joe Lopez, III, 33, of San Angelo, also faced sentencing, though details were not fully released at press time. The final defendant, Richard Jasso, 39, awaits sentencing on February 17, 2017, after being convicted at trial on similar meth distribution charges. With two prior felony drug convictions, Jasso faces a mandatory life sentence without parole if the court upholds the enhancement.

“Drug traffickers who have taken root in the San Angelo area and jeopardize the safety and security of our communities is a top priority for my office,” said U.S. Attorney John Parker. “But one agency can’t do it alone. Today, I commend the dedicated efforts of the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Texas Department of Public Safety, and the San Angelo Police Department, in addition to the several other federal, state and local agencies that lent assistance when and where needed.”

“The state of Texas will not tolerate criminals who distribute drugs throughout our communities and endanger our residents,” said Texas DPS Regional Commander Carey Matthews. Chief Frank Carter of the San Angelo Police Department echoed the sentiment, calling the investigation “another great example of the accomplishments of local, state and federal law enforcement agencies working together.” The case stands as a grim testament to the reach of meth cartels in small-town America—and the relentless machinery of federal justice when agencies unite to crush them.

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