News and Press Releases
Three sentenced for conspiring to distribute five kilograms of cocaine, methamphetamine
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 10, 2012
MINNEAPOLIS – Earlier today in federal court, three Twin Cities metro residents were
sentenced for conspiring to distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine and more than 500
grams of methamphetamine between the fall of 2010 and March 3, 2011. United States District
Court Chief Judge Michael J. Davis sentenced Marlon Cristobal Ramos-Ortiz, age 26, of
Brooklyn Center, to 63 months in prison on one count of conspiracy to distribute 50 or more
grams of methamphetamine and five kilograms of cocaine; Jose Hugo Vazquez-Rodriguez, age
35, of Burnsville, to 87 months on one count of distribution of 50 or more grams of
methamphetamine; and Rosalba Velazquez-Ramos, age 47, also of Brooklyn Center, to 108
months on one count of conspiracy. The three were indicted on March 22, 2011, and all three
pleaded guilty.
In her plea agreement, Velazquez-Ramos admitted conspiring with the others to distribute
methamphetamine and cocaine. In addition, she admitted obtaining the drugs from various
suppliers and then distributing them to customers in the Twin Cities area. Those customers
included federal undercover agents, who, on October 28, 2010, in Brooklyn Center, were sold
111.33 grams of methamphetamine, and on November 16, 2010, in Fridley, were sold 430.37
grams of methamphetamine. On March 3, 2011, in Fridley, Velazquez-Ramos and Ramos-Ortiz
also attempted to purchase approximately 15 kilograms of cocaine from uncover law
enforcement officers, intending to sell five kilograms to Vazquez-Rodriguez.
In his plea agreement, Ramos-Ortiz admitted conspiring with the others to distribute the
drugs and assisting Velazquez-Ramos in obtaining the drugs. In his plea agreement, Vazquez-
Rodriguez admitted that on December 9, 2010, he distributed 53.78 grams of methamphetamine
in Burnsville.
A law enforcement affidavit filed in the case states that in addition to arranging controlled
buys of drugs from the defendants, authorities arranged two controlled sales of drugs and had
scheduled a third for March 3, 2011. Velazquez-Ramos and Ramos-Ortiz had requested 15 or
more kilograms of cocaine in exchange for $80,000. However, when they arrived at the
transaction site on March 3, money in hand, they were arrested. Vazquez-Rodriguez was arrested
shortly thereafter.
This case was the result of an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs
Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and the Southwest Metro Drug Task Force. It
was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas M. Hollenhorst.
