North Texas heroin trafficker sentenced to more than 20 years in federal prison

DALLAS – A North Texas heroin trafficker arrested in July 2015 was sentenced last week by U.S. District Judge Jane J. Boyle to more than 20 years in federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney John Parker of the Northern District of Texas.

Rolando Benitez, aka “San Luis,” 35, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Jane J. Boyle to 245 months in federal prison. Benitez pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute a Schedule I controlled substance in October 2016.

According to documents filed in the case, beginning on Oct. 29, 2014, and continuing through Feb. 2, 2015, Benitez and others possessed with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of heroin.

The following agencies led this investigation: FBI, Dallas Police Department and Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation. The following agencies assisted with this investigation: the Texas Department of Public Safety, the DFW Department of Public Safety, the U.S. Department of State, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Transportation Security Administration, the U.S. Secret Service, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO), and the Texas police departments of Fort Worth, McKinney, Mesquite and Plano.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys George Leal and John Kull, Northern District of Texas, prosecuted this case.