Several residents convicted of drug trafficking in South Texas | Texas

McALLEN, TX — Several local residents have been convicted of drug trafficking, announced United States Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.

Gabriel Ortiz, 31, Francisco Ortiz, 53, and Adbento Guerrero, 62, all of McAllen; and Alonzo Rolando Garza, 42, of Edinburgh, had all previously pleaded guilty. Chief U.S. District Judge Randy Crane has now imposed a 144-month prison term on Gabriel Ortiz, while Francisco Ortiz was sentenced to 121 months. Guerrero and Garza have already been sentenced to 30 and 120 months, respectively. All four must also serve five years of supervised release following their sentences.

“Gabriel Ortiz and his co-conspirators, with their reckless and criminal behavior, directly caused the death of a human being,” Hamdani said. “This case demonstrates the dangers of local drug trafficking and drug use. Fortunately, their lengthy prison sentences will ensure that they will no longer be able to traffic these deadly substances into our communities and cause such tragedy on our streets.

The investigation revealed that in 2019 and 2020, the four men were trafficking cocaine in the McAllen and Edinburgh areas. The co-conspirators allegedly bought and sold multi-kilogram quantities of cocaine as well as smaller quantities 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 consuming the narcotic.

Throughout the investigation, law enforcement seized a total of more than 10 kilograms of cocaine and 69 grams of cocaine base. The combined street value of the drugs was estimated at approximately $260,000. Law enforcement also seized $294,520 in cash and property in connection with the case.

The Drug Enforcement Administration conducted Operation Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) with assistance from the Edinburg Police Department, the Hidalgo County Sheriff's Office, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, firearms and explosives. The OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF program is available on the Department of Justice’s OCDETF webpage.

Assistant United States Attorney James Sturgis prosecuted the case.