Dallas Residents Plead Guilty to Federal Controlled Substances Act Violations

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – HECTOR OMAR SEGURA-LARA  (“SEGURA-LARA”) age 35, and JOSE ANTONIO ORTEGA-SILVA (“ORTEGA-SILVA”), age 32, both residents of Dallas, Texas, pled guilty on June 13, 2024 to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute a quantity of cocaine, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), (b)(1)(C), and 846, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.

According to court documents, on August 25, 2021, near milepost 56 on Interstate 12, Louisiana State Troopers conducted a traffic stop of a Chrysler 200 occupied by SEGURA-LARA and ORTEGA-SILVA.  When the vehicle occupants provided contradictory answers to the troopers regarding their itinerary, the troopers conducted a consensual search of the vehicle.  During the search, the troopers noticed that a twelve-volt battery was attached to the car battery and that the twelve-bolt battery was powering the car.  Inside the actual car battery, were four kilograms of cocaine discovered by the troopers.

Both SEGURA-LARA and ORTEGA-SILVA  acknowledged they were driving to Virginia to deliver drugs.  ORTEGA-SILVA admitted that at the request of another individual, he obtained the vehicle in Dallas and drove it to Houston where another individual loaded the vehicle with drugs.  The plan was for ORTEGA-SILVA and SEGURA-LARA to then drive to Virginia where individuals would unload the drugs and place the proceeds ($152,000.00) in the car battery.  ORTEGA-SILVA and SEGURA-LARA were instructed to then return to Texas with the proceeds. 

For the conspiracy count charged, ORTEGA-SILVA and SEGURA-LARA each face a maximum term of imprisonment of twenty years, a fine of up to $1,000,000.00, a mandatory minimum term of supervised release of three years, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.00. 

This case was investigated by the Louisiana State Police and the Department of Homeland Security Investigations.  The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney André Jones of the Narcotics Unit.