West Texas methamphetamine trafficker sentenced to 30 years in federal prison

SAN ANGELO, Texas — A West Texas man was sentenced last week to 360 months in federal prison for methamphetamine trafficking.

U.S. Attorney Erin Nealy Cox of the Northern District of Texas announced this sentence. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) investigated this case.

Mateo Raymond Flores III, aka Lawrence Flores, aka Arturo Flores, aka Rogelio Cadena, aka Gordo, aka Mr. G, 49, from San Angelo, was a fugitive on state charges and living in Mexico at the time of indictment. Flores was charged in a July 2017 federal indictment along with the following four codefendants: Romelia Flores, 47, Pablo Cantu Hernandez, 61, Mario Moreno Jr., 39, and Shelly Brannon Fowler, 51. All defendants pleaded guilty to their roles in the methamphetamine-trafficking scheme. U.S. District Judge Sam R. Cummings previously sentenced Hernandez to 235 months in federal prison, Moreno to 151 months in federal prison and Fowler to 188 months in federal prison. Romelia Flores is awaiting sentencing.

Flores pleaded guilty in November 2017 to an indictment charging one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine.

According to the plea agreement factual resume, Flores was identified as a source for methamphetamine in the San Angelo area. Flores used Hernandez’s residence as a methamphetamine storage location.

On April 26, 2016, a state search warrant was executed at Hernandez’s San Angelo residence. Hernandez admitted that he was storing methamphetamine for Flores. Investigators seized 2.89 pounds of methamphetamine. Hernandez stated that he had stored and distributed about 150 pounds of methamphetamine for Flores for the past three years at his residence, collected drug proceeds and sent them to Flores in Mexico.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Juanita Fielden, Northern District of Texas, prosecuted this case.