McAllen Residents Sentenced for Narcotics Trafficking Resulting in Fatal Overdose

prison yardPhoto byLarry FarronUnsplash

McALLEN, Texas – U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani has announced the sentencing of multiple local residents involved in narcotics trafficking. Gabriel Ortiz, 31, Francisco Ortiz, 53, and Adbento Guerrero, 62, all from McAllen, along with Alonzo Rolando Garza, 42, from Edinburg, had previously pleaded guilty to their charges.

Chief U.S. District Judge Randy Crane has sentenced Gabriel Ortiz to 144 months in prison, while Francisco Ortiz received 121 months. Guerrero and Garza were previously sentenced to 30 and 120 months, respectively. Each individual will also serve five years of supervised release following their imprisonment.

“Gabriel Ortiz and his co-conspirators, through their irresponsible and criminal actions, directly caused the death of a human being,” stated Hamdani. “This case highlights the dangers associated with local drug dealing and narcotics use. Thankfully, their lengthy prison sentences will ensure they can no longer distribute these deadly substances in our communities and cause further tragedies.”

The investigation revealed that in 2019 and 2020, the four men were involved in trafficking cocaine in the McAllen and Edinburg areas. They engaged in the purchase and sale of multi-kilogram quantities of cocaine and smaller amounts of cocaine base, also known as "crack."

In November 2020, Gabriel Ortiz sold approximately three grams of cocaine base to a 53-year-old man who subsequently died after using the narcotic.

During the investigation, law enforcement seized over 10 kilograms of cocaine and 69 grams of cocaine base. The drugs had an estimated street value of approximately $260,000. Additionally, $294,520 in money and assets were confiscated as part of the case.

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