San Angelo Man Richard Jasso Convicted in Meth Conspiracy

LUBBOCK, Texas — Richard Jasso, 39, of San Angelo, stood silent in court yesterday as a federal jury delivered a guilty verdict on one count of distribution and possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, along with aiding and abetting. The conviction, handed down after a single-day trial before Senior U.S. District Judge Sam R. Cummings, marks a decisive end to Jasso’s role in a sprawling drug network that flooded Central Texas with high-purity meth.

Prosecutors, led by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Haag, presented evidence that Jasso personally delivered 54 net grams of pure methamphetamine to a confidential source working under DEA supervision. The controlled buy occurred in San Angelo, captured on surveillance and backed by forensic analysis. The transaction triggered federal charges under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) umbrella, launching a sweeping crackdown on a regional trafficking ring.

The government has filed a sentencing enhancement based on Jasso’s criminal history, citing two prior felony drug convictions. If the court confirms those convictions are valid and final, federal statute mandates a life sentence without the possibility of parole. No sentencing date has been scheduled.

Jasso has remained in federal custody since July 13, 2016, when a multi-agency takedown led by the DEA, Texas Department of Public Safety, and San Angelo Police Department netted 12 defendants tied to the conspiracy. At the center was Rudolfo Ledesma Castaneda, Jr., 31, identified as the operation’s leader. All 12 defendants have now been convicted, closing one of the region’s most persistent drug investigations.

One co-defendant, Jesse Huerra, 31, was convicted at trial in September 2016 on separate meth distribution and firearm charges. Like Jasso, Huerra now faces a mandatory life sentence, underscoring the federal crackdown on armed drug traffickers operating under organized networks.

The investigation was a joint effort by the DEA, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Texas Department of Public Safety, and San Angelo Police Department. U.S. Attorney John Parker of the Northern District of Texas confirmed the prosecution’s intent to seek maximum penalties, calling the case a textbook example of dismantling organized narcotics operations through coordinated law enforcement action.