Former daycare director sentenced in large-scale cocaine trafficking conspiracy

LAREDO, Texas – A 34-year-old resident of Laredo has been sentenced for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

Cynthia Elizabeth Arellano pleaded guilty Aug. 13, 2024.

U.S. District Judge Keith P. Ellison has now imposed a 45-month-term of imprisonment to be immediately followed by four years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard how Arellano used her home, where her husband and three-year old daughter also resided, as a stash house for approximately 245 kilograms of cocaine and $428,411.00 in drug proceeds.

“Drugs and violence often go together, so the idea of using your home where your three-year-old daughter lives, as a stash house, is incredibly dangerous and irresponsible,” said Ganjei. “The amount of money and drugs at her home demonstrates that the defendant was a trusted member of the conspiracy, and that kind of trust only comes from a long history of repeated transactions. She knew exactly what she was getting into, and, by extension, what she was getting her family into.”

In April 2024, Cristian Jareth Flores arranged the sale of one kilogram of cocaine for $14,000. During the undercover operation, Juan Antonio Ochoa-Saucedo then delivered the drugs at a local retail establishment.

The investigation revealed Ochoa-Saucedo picked up the brick of cocaine from Arellano at her residence and that he had done so on previous occasions.

Law enforcement executed a search warrant at Arellano’s home where they discovered two money counters and drug ledgers revealing extensive cocaine trafficking involving hundreds of thousands of dollars in proceeds.

At the time of her plea, she admitted she committed the crime because she needed money.

Flores and Ochoa-Saucedo also pleaded guilty for their roles and were sentenced to 36 and 57 months in prison.

Arellano was permitted to remain bond and surrender to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility at a later date. 

Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation with the assistance of Laredo Police Department. 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 can be found on the Department of Justice’s OCDETF webpage.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Leslie Ann Cortez is prosecuting the case.