5 Mexican men sentenced in Missouri to federal prison for cocaine trafficking

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Five Mexican men, who were residing in or visiting Missouri, were sentenced to prison Tuesday for their roles in a conspiracy to smuggle cocaine into the Kansas City area.

These sentences resulted from an investigation by the following agencies:  U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF); the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department; and the Kansas State Highway Patrol.

Alejandro Valencia, 32, Eric Octavio Rangel-Ortega, 33, and Alfredo Avitia, 34, all from Mexico residing in Kansas City, Missouri, and Juan Rodriguez-Ponce, 62, and his son, Juan Carlos Rodriguez-Maynez, 36, both from Mexico, were sentenced to varying federal prison terms and ordered to forfeit proceeds from their illegal drug trafficking.

• Valencia was sentenced to 24 years and four months.
• Octavio Rangel-Ortega was sentenced to 20 years.

The court also ordered Valencia and Rangel-Ortega to forfeit to the government $376,000 that was seized by law enforcement officers as the proceeds of illegal drug trafficking, as well as a 2001 Silverado truck that was used to commit the offenses.

• Avitia was sentenced to three years and four months.
• Rodriguez-Maynez and Rodriguez-Ponce were each sentenced to nine years.

The court also ordered them to forfeit to the government a 2002 Honda Odyssey van.

All five men will also be processed for deportation after they finish their prison sentences.  There is no parole in the federal prison system.

Law enforcement officers initially purchased methamphetamine from Rangel-Ortega on five separate occasions from October 2012 to January 2013 during an undercover storefront operation. On three occasions, those transactions occurred near the Mores Early Childhood Center and Elementary School in Kansas City, Kansas. The undercover officer purchased a total of 256.9 grams (nine oz.) of methamphetamine from Rangel-Ortega during this period, until Rangel-Ortega returned to Mexico. Rangel-Ortega then told the undercover officer that his cousin, Valencia, would continue to sell methamphetamine.

The undercover officer purchased a total of 345.4 grams (12 oz.) of methamphetamine from Valencia on five separate occasions from February to April 2013. The undercover officer contacted Rangel-Ortega before every deal and Rangel-Ortega made contact with Valencia to ensure he would sell to the undercover officer. After one of the buys, Valencia told the undercover officer that he sent Rangel-Ortega the money while he was in Mexico.

Investigators also learned that Valencia was expecting a shipment of cocaine from Mexico to Kansas City, Missouri, and planned to ship $330,000 in cash back to Mexico. Investigators conducted surveillance and on April 19, 2013 they saw Valencia meet with Rodriguez-Maynea and Rodriguez-Ponce, who had driven their vehicle from Mexico into the United States a few days earlier.

After observing the transaction between Valencia and the other men, law enforcement officers later stopped the Honda Odyssey van driven by Rodriguez-Maynez and Rodriguez-Ponce. Officers found stashed in a hidden compartment 33 bundles of cash, each containing $10,000 for a total of $330,000.

On the same day, officers executed a search warrant at Valencia’s residence and seized about five kilograms of cocaine, $20,400 and Valencia’s Silverado truck.

Valencia pleaded guilty to his role in a conspiracy to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine and 500 grams or more of methamphetamine from Sept. 1, 2012 to April 19, 2013. Valencia also pleaded guilty to bulk cash smuggling, to participating in a conspiracy to import five kilograms or more of cocaine, and to participating in a money-laundering conspiracy.

Rangel-Ortega pleaded guilty to his role in the conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, to distributing methamphetamine, and to his role in the money-laundering conspiracy.

Avitia pleaded guilty to his role in the conspiracy to distribute cocaine and to participating in the money-laundering conspiracy.

Rodriguez-Maynez and Rodriguez-Ponce both pleaded guilty to bulk cash smuggling and to their roles in a conspiracy to import cocaine.