Texas Resident Sentenced to More than 20 Years in Prison on Gun and Drug Charges

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A federal judge yesterday sentenced a Texas man on gun and drug charges, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent in Charge Katrina W. Berger.

U.S. District Court Judge Annemarie Axon sentenced Aaron Martinez, 33, of Houston, Texas, to 248 months in prison.  Martinez pleaded guilty in October 2022 to possession with intent to distribute cocaine and methamphetamine, possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and being a felon in possession of a firearm. 

According to the plea agreement, on February 17, 2021, a police officer with the Leeds Police Department conducted a traffic stop at Buc-ee’s located in Leeds on a vehicle driven by Martinez. The traffic stop resulted in the officer recovering 3.5 kilograms of methamphetamine, 1 kilogram of cocaine, and two firearms.  Martinez was travelling from Houston to Atlanta.  Martinez has a lengthy criminal history including Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon and Burglary of Habitation, and is associated with a gang in Houston, Texas. 

HSI investigated the case along with the Leeds Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brittany Byrd prosecuted the case.