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Press Release

Hidalgo Drug Trafficker Gets Life In Federal Prison

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of Texas

McALLEN, Texas – Daniel Nunez, 38, of Hidalgo, has been ordered to prison for life following his conviction for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute more than 1,000 kilograms of marijuana and conspiracy to transport and attempt to transport monetary instruments to Mexico to promote drug trafficking, United States Attorney Kenneth Magidson announced today. Nunez pleaded guilty Tuesday, Nov. 27, 2012.

Today, U.S. District Judge Randy Crane handed down the sentence and noted that this was a significant drug trafficking conspiracy  over a long period of time.

Nunez had been involved in an organization that had crossed marijuana into the United States from Mexico. They would arrange to cross marijuana from Mexico through the Rio Grande River in the Military Highway area, and transport it to stash locations in Edinburg and Hargill. From there, the marijuana would be taken to another stash location where it would be loaded onto tractor trailers for further distribution in the Dallas area as well as Panama City and Orlando, Fla., and Steele, Ala. areas.

Nunez also arranged to transport the proceeds of his drug-trafficking organization from various locations in Florida back to Hidalgo County, and from there, transport it into Mexico.

According to previous court records, the exploits of Nunez were celebrated in narco-corridos that were posted to YouTube entitled “Corridos De Arranque” that sung of “El Patron y El Comandante,” “El Comandanta y Su Gente,” “El Guero y su Clicka,” “El Reinocertonte (M-50)”and El-M-3.    

Several others have been charged and convicted with sentences so far ranging from more than two years to nearly 18 years in prison.

Nunez will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
             
The investigations leading to the criminal charges were conducted in McAllen, Panama City, Orlando and Steele. This Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force investigation was led by Homeland Security Investigations, FBI and Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation. These cases are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patricia Profit.

Updated April 30, 2015