A San Benito resident, Salvador Cortez-Nava, has been sentenced to 120 months in federal prison for his involvement in a conspiracy to distribute over five kilograms of cocaine. This was announced by U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani following Cortez-Nava's guilty plea on August 24, 2023.
U.S. District Judge Rolando Olvera imposed the sentence and ordered an additional five years of supervised release for Cortez-Nava. The court also heard evidence of Cortez-Nava's involvement in ordering the kidnapping of a co-conspirator due to lost drug loads. The court approved the forfeiture of assets obtained through drug proceeds.
“The Mexican Gulf Cartel is one of Mexico's oldest criminal syndicates, engaging in drug trafficking, violence, human smuggling, and more,” said Hamdani. “Salvador Cortez-Nava demonstrated his allegiance to this cartel by coordinating the distribution of cocaine and employing ruthless tactics.”
Special Agent Craig Larrabee from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) highlighted the success achieved through a multi-agency task force that uncovered over $1.5 million in drug proceeds and seized more than 150 kilograms of cocaine.
Daniel C. Comeaux from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) emphasized their ongoing efforts against drug trafficking networks like Cortez Nava’s significant cocaine operation.
Cortez-Nava played a major role in importing large quantities of cocaine from Mexico into multiple U.S. cities including North Carolina, Ohio, Georgia, Florida, Indiana, and areas within Texas such as the Rio Grande Valley.
The investigation revealed sophisticated methods used by Cortez-Nava’s organization for smuggling drugs across borders using vehicles with hidden compartments at ports of entry.
From 2016 to 2020, several narcotics and cash seizures linked to Cortez-Nava included substantial amounts of cocaine and money intended for distribution or concealed within vehicles.
As part of his plea agreement, Cortez-Nava agreed to surrender various properties including a vehicle and firearms along with jewelry items acquired through illegal activities.
He will remain in custody until he is transferred to a U.S Bureau of Prisons facility soon.
The Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation was conducted by HSI and DEA with support from local law enforcement agencies such as Brownsville Police Department alongside Customs & Border Protection authorities underlining OCDETF’s mission focused on dismantling criminal networks threatening national security interests across America leveraging collective strengths across jurisdictions involved while led primarily via prosecutorial strategies backed up intelligence gathering efforts overall further details available via DOJ website related section online resources provided therein contextually too overall generally speaking broadly stated here now thus far accordingly herein mentioned previously above already noted earlier referenced similarly likewise henceforth thereafter subsequently thereafter afterwards eventually finally conclusively ultimately lastly eventually reaching conclusion ending point finalizing closure completion end result outcome finished 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