South Texas brothers each sentenced to 18 years in federal prison for distributing cocaine

SAN ANTONIO — Two South Texas brothers were each sentenced Tuesday to 18 years in federal prison for distributing about six kilograms of cocaine.

This sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Richard Durbin, Western District of Texas.  This investigation was conducted by the FBI, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).

Xavier Cardona, 37 and his brother Michael Cardona, 33, both from Eagle Pass, Texas, were sentenced Sept. 6 by U.S. District Judge Alia Moses who ordered each of the brothers to serve 216 months in prison. In addition to the prison terms, Judge Moses ordered that the defendants pay a $372,320 money judgment; they must also serve five years of supervised release after they complete their prison terms. On Oct. 23, 2015, a jury found the Cardona brothers guilty for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute over 500 grams of cocaine. Both were arrested without incident April 23, 2014.

According to court documents, from January 2009 until April 2014, the Cardona brothers used Real Street Paint and Body Shop and Michael’s residence to sell cocaine and launder drug proceeds. They used the proceeds from their cocaine distribution to fuel their lifestyle of custom-built modified cars that they showed at various car shows in Texas, and to buy and remodel homes. During recorded phone calls played during trial, Michael Cardona stated that he provided cocaine to other dealers already packaged and cut so that it would move more quickly. Testimony and evidence showed that the Cardonas also employed firearms in their drug trafficking business. A search of the residences of both brothers resulted in seizing $162,795 in currency, about 160 packages of cocaine ready for distribution and five weapons.

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

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ralph Paradiso, Lewis Thomas and Diana Cruz-Zapata, Western District of Texas, prosecuted this case.