Local gang member imprisoned for trafficking over 900 grams of heroin and various narcotics

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 28-year-old Corpus Christi man has been sentenced following his conviction of drug trafficking, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.

Arturo Bazan pleaded guilty Nov. 14, 2023.

U.S. District Judge David S. Morales has now ordered Arturo Bazan to serve 228 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by five years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court viewed evidence from the crime scene and reviewed Bazan’s gang activities on social media. In handing down the sentence, the court noted the seriousness of the crime and its negative impact on the community. 

In 2023, authorities began investigating a local heroin distributor which ultimately led authorities to Bazan and his associates operating out of a Corpus Christi residence.

On Aug. 9, 2023, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Bazan’s residence, at which time they discovered over a kilogram of meth, three kilograms of cocaine, over 900 grams of heroin and more than $20,000. They also found other controlled substances such as alprazolam pills, Xanax and marijuana. 

They also recovered multiple firearms throughout the residence, to include a Ruger 5.7 handgun and an Anderson Arms AM-15 in Bazan’s bedroom. Those two firearms were each loaded with a full magazine. 

Further investigation revealed Bazan was a local gang member who distributed narcotics on both an individual and large-scale basis.

Bazan will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

The Drug Enforcement Administration and Corpus Christi Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Lamont prosecuted the case.