http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?news ... 7937&rfi=6

08/15/2006
TWO IN OPERATION ICEBOX PLEAD GUILTY
By CASEY KNAUPP, Staff Writer

Two men, including an illegal immigrant, pleaded guilty in federal court Tuesday to their involvement in a methamphetamine-distribution ring that spanned three states.

Jacinto Martinez, 27, and Manuel Ernesto Escobar, 22, who were indicted with 17 others for their involvement in Operation Icebox, pleaded guilty in U.S. Magistrate Judge Judith Guthrie's court.

Martinez, also known as Junior, pleaded guilty to count one of the 26-count indictment, admitting to conspiracy to possess and distribute more than 10 kilograms of meth. He faces 10 years to life in prison.

Martinez also agreed to forfeit $201,000 that federal agents discovered in a safe in his room when he was arrested in March. He also agreed to forfeit a $100,000 judgment, as well as cash his girlfriend possessed at the time he was detained. His girlfriend was not indicted in the case, Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Baldwin said.

Also in Judge Guthrie's court on Tuesday, Escobar pleaded guilty to count 16, possessing with the intent to distribute 250 grams of meth, for which he will face five to 40 years in prison. He faces an additional 10 years in prison after he pleaded guilty to count 24 - being an illegal alien in possession of an SKS assault rifle.

Escobar agreed to forfeit the firearm and a $100,000 judgment.

After a lengthy investigation dubbed "Operation Icebox," the defendants were charged with conspiracy to distribute meth, which they allegedly obtained from multiple sources and distributed in East Texas, Louisiana and Florida.

They maintained firearms to protect the drug-selling business and also traded and sold weapons, the indictment states.

All of the co-defendants are named in 21 counts of the indictment, alleging possession with the intent to distribute meth on 16 occasions from Feb. 24, 2005, through Feb. 15, 2006, with amounts ranging from 11.9 grams to 1,000 grams.

Jeff Attaway, John Thomas Carroll, Samuel Leal Jr., Mark Anthony Gomez, Tanya Smith, Stanley Drew Burkhart, Eduardo Vasquez Jr., Joey Adams Paup, Brandy Dawn Rodgers, also known as Brandy McNinch, and Toribia Gloria Medina have all pleaded guilty to similar charges.

David Phil Branch is scheduled to plead guilty next week.

The co-defendants who have not yet pleaded guilty - Simon Balderas Jr.; his father, Simon Balderas Sr.; Rene Hernandez Zavala; his brother Jose Zavala and Efrem Gonzalez Gamez - are scheduled for trial on Oct. 3 in U.S. District Judge Leonard Davis' court.

Jaime Long, also indicted in the case, remains a fugitive.

Casey Knaupp covers county, state and federal courts. She can be reached at 903.596.6289. e-mail: news@tylerpaper.com