Mexican man, stepdaughter sentenced for drug crimes

By DALE LEZON
Copyright 2010 HOUSTON CHRONICLE
April 20, 2010, 9:32AM

A Mexican national who was a reputed leader in a multimillion dollar drug dealing operation that distributed cocaine and marijuana for nearly three years was sentenced to life in prison, federal authorities said.

His stepdaughter, who was living in Houston, also was sent to prison for her connection to the operation.

Miguel Zamora, 58, was sentenced Monday in federal court in Houston, to life for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute more than 5 kilograms of cocaine and more than 1000 kilograms of marijuana. He also was sentenced to 20 years in prison for laundering the drug proceeds, officials said. The sentences will run concurrently.

Zamora also must forfeit his interest in property connected to the drug dealing.

Officials said Zamora's stepdaughter, Olivia del Carmen Rodriguez, 33, a naturalized U.S. citizen from El Salvador, was sentenced to four years and 10 months in prison for her role in the money laundering.

Zamora, a Mexican citizen who had been deported from the U.S. in 2004 after serving five years in prison for a previous federal drug offense, pleaded guilty Oct. 14, 2008 to the current charges that had been included in a 14-count indictment.

The court found Zamora was a leader in a drug trafficking organization that distributed thousands of kilograms of cocaine and marijuana between December 2004 and September 2007.

The court also determined Zamora, helped by Rodriguez, laundered millions of dollars in drug money.

Rodriguez pleaded guilty to money laundering.

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