Grand Prairie, Texas Man Sentenced For Drug Trafficking

               SHERMAN, Texas – A 44-year-old Grand Prairie, Texas man has been sentenced to federal prison for drug trafficking violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney John M. Bales today.

               Daniel Martinez pleaded guilty on Jan. 28, 2014 to conspiracy to distribute narcotics and was sentenced to 87 months in federal prison on july 28, 2014 by U.S. District Judge Marcia Crone.

               According to information presented in court, in May 2010, Martinez became involved in a conspiracy to distribute marijuana and cocaine in the Eastern District of Texas.  Martinez used cellular telephones to conduct coded conversations about drug trafficking activity with various co-conspirators.  Martinez admitted responsibility for distributing approximately 900 kilograms of marijuana.

               On May 12, 2011, a federal grand jury returned a seven-count second superseding indictment against Martinez and 15 co-defendants, charging them with numerous federal drug trafficking conspiracy and firearm violations. 

               Twelve co-defendants have pleaded guilty and been sentenced as follows:

• Armando Basaldua – sentenced to 57 months
• Paola Alonso – sentenced to 21 months
• Armando Iniguez – sentenced to 6 months
• Guadalupe Patricia Rangel-Salazar – sentenced to 71 months
• Jorge Enrique Perez-Solis – sentenced to 71 months
• Diego Hernandez – sentenced to 57 months
• Daniel Hernandez-Gutierrez – sentenced to 69 months
• Jose Frederico Flores – sentenced to 262 months
• Orthon Carranza Rodriguez – sentenced to 30 months
• Jonathan Belen Lugo – sentenced to 24 months
• Juan Antonio Roslaes – sentenced to 60 months
• Oscar Omar Guerra-Moreno – sentenced to 6 months
• Guadalupe Chavez-Figueroa – sentenced to 60 months

               Two additional defendants, Eliezer Aleman and Luis Enrique Arguero, are currently fugitives from justice.

               This case is the result of an extensive joint investigation by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) joint investigation.  The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking and money laundering  organizations, and those primarily responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply. 

               This case was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation and Homeland Security Investigations.