Mission cocaine kingpin gets 27 years

October 31, 2011 10:26 PM
By JARED TAYLOR/The Monitor

McALLEN — A Mission man faces 27 years in prison after he led a drug trafficking and money laundering operation that netted more than $1 million in proceeds.

The ringleader and his two brothers were among seven men who learned their prison sentences at a sentencing hearing Monday afternoon in U.S. District Court.

Federal agents unfolded the narcotics investigation in New York City in 2006, when they found a tractor-trailer owned by Mission resident Alonzo Avila, 52. That would lead the Drug Enforcement Administration to several other drug and cash seizures from Avila’s drug trafficking organization over the next two years, prosecutors said.

In all, agents seized more than 1,763 pounds of cocaine, 1,102 pounds of marijuana and $1.5 million in drug proceeds.

Investigators learned that Avila used tractor-trailers to move cocaine and marijuana from the Rio Grande Valley to cities in the eastern U.S., including New York, Atlanta and Columbus, Ohio.

After delivering the drug loads, Avila’s drug trafficking organization would smuggle the cash back to the Valley, prosecutors said.

Nine men named in a federal indictment returned in March pleaded guilty to drug smuggling and money laundering charges. U.S. District Judge Randy Crane sentenced seven of the nine men at a hearing Monday afternoon. They are:

>> Alonzo Avila, the head of the drug trafficking organization, who was sentenced to 27 years in prison on cocaine trafficking charges and 12 years for money laundering. Both sentences will run concurrently.

>> Seferino Avila, 44, a Mission resident and younger brother of Alonzo, who was sentenced to more than 24 years in prison on cocaine trafficking charges and 12 years for money laundering. Both sentences will run concurrently.

>> Alejandro Avila, 38, younger brother of Seferino and Alonzo, who was sentenced to 58 months in prison on cocaine trafficking charges.

>> Carlos Javier Gomez, 38, of Edinburg, who was sentenced to 20 years in prison on cocaine trafficking charges.

>> Cristielo Mendoza, 50, of Edinburg, who was sentenced to nine years in prison on cocaine trafficking charges.

>> Darrell Bruce Hamilton, 52, of Victoria, who was sentenced to four years in prison on cocaine trafficking charges.

>> Ricky Wayne Saunders, 45, of Malta, Ohio, who was sentenced to two years in prison on money laundering charges.

Still awaiting sentencing are Julio Cesar Leon, 38, of Edinburg, and Juan Javier Mendiola, 37, of McAllen.

All those sentenced Monday will face between three and 10 years of supervised release after completing their prison terms.

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