South Texas man sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for drug trafficking

LAREDO, Texas — A South Texas man was sentenced Tuesday to 20 years in federal prison following his conviction for conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute and import cocaine and marijuana.

This sentence was announced by Acting U.S. Attorney Abe Martinez, Southern District of Texas. This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), with assistance from the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS).

Arturo Valladolid Jr., 43, from Laredo, was sentenced Oct. 31 by U.S. District Marina Garcia Marlolejo to 240 months in prison, and to a 10-year term of supervised release. Valladolid pleaded guilty to drug-trafficking charges Oct. 18, 2016.

According to court documents, between October 2015 and June 2016, Valladolid was involved in several drug trafficking events. On Oct. 28, 2015, authorities seized more than five kilograms of cocaine in a tractor-trailer which had been seen leaving a warehouse Valladolid utilized. Another tractor-trailer was seen leaving a warehouse associated with Valladolid on March 16, 2016. That trailer was found to contain more than 100 kilograms of marijuana. On June 7, 2016, HSI special agents executed a search warrant on Valladolid’s residence in the Alexander’s Commonwealth subdivision of Laredo. At that time, they discovered more than 100 kilograms of marijuana in his attic. Valladolid ultimately admitted that he was being paid to store the marijuana.

Valladolid remains in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher dos Santos, Southern District of Texas, is prosecuting this case.