HSI Corpus Christi investigation sends previously convicted drug trafficker back to prison for trafficking deadly narcotics

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — A previously convicted drug trafficker was ordered to federal prison Sept. 28 after he was convicted of trafficking large quantities of deadly narcotics across the country.

Daniel Zintura Sr., a 49-year-old resident of Alamo, was sentenced in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas to serve 151 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by five years of supervised release for possession with intent to distribute 8 kilograms of cocaine. Zintura pleaded guilty to the charges on May 25.

In March 2022, Zintura arranged for the transportation of 8 kilograms of cocaine across the United States to Maryland. On March 17, 2022, he met another individual at a local home improvement store to hand off the cocaine for transport to Houston. Law enforcement officials immediately arrested him and took him into custody.

At the hearing, the court heard evidence regarding Zintura’s criminal history, which included a prior federal drug trafficking conviction. He was on supervised release for that conviction when he committed this offense. In handing down the sentence, the court noted Zintura’s repeated criminal conduct, the large amount of narcotics involved in his case, and his prior conviction for the same offense. The judge also noted how drugs can destroy communities.

Zintura will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Barbara J. De Pena prosecuted the case.

For more news and information on HSI’s efforts to aggressively investigate the trafficking of illicit narcotics in Southeast Texas follow us on X, formerly known as Twitter, @HSIHouston.

HSI is the principal investigative arm of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), responsible for investigating transnational crime and threats, specifically those criminal organizations that exploit the global infrastructure through which international trade, travel, and finance move. HSI’s workforce of more than 8,700 employees consists of more than 6,000 special agents assigned to 237 cities throughout the United States, and 93 overseas locations in 56 countries. HSI’s international presence represents DHS’ largest investigative law enforcement presence abroad and one of the largest international footprints in U.S. law enforcement.