South Texas man sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for being a habitual drug trafficker

MCALLEN, Texas — A South Texas man was sentenced March 26 to 20 years in federal prison for his leadership role in a drug trafficking case involving nearly 40 kilograms of cocaine.

This sentencing was announced by U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick, Southern District of Texas. This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), with the assistance of Pharr (Texas) Police Department.  

Carlos Guerrero, 45, from San Juan, Texas, was sentenced March 26 by U.S. District Judge Ricardo H. Hinojosa to serve 240 months. The court found Guerrero to be a leader/organizer within the drug trafficking organization.  His sentence was enhanced due to his 2005 convictions for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine and possession with intent to distribute 45.5 kilograms (100 pounds) of cocaine.

According to court documents, on May 28, 2015, authorities followed a vehicle from the Hidalgo (Texas) Port of Entry to a parking lot in McAllen. Yadira Martinez-Gomez, 24, from Mexico, was driving when she handed the vehicle off to Rodolfo Hernandez-Flores, 43, from Mexico, who drove to Guerrero’s residence in San Juan. A subsequent search of the vehicle and residence led to seizing 39 kilograms (86 pounds) of cocaine. Raul Sanchez-Solano, 40, from Mexico, and Guerrero were arrested at that time and charged for storing the narcotics at the residence.

Martinez-Gomez was previously sentenced to 37 months imprisonment. Sanchez-Solano and Hernandez-Flores received 60 and 48 months in prison, respectively.

Guerrero 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 Kristen J. Rees, Southern District of Texas, is prosecuting this case.