A Corpus Christi resident, Tony Maldonado, known as "Diablo," has been sentenced to 200 months in federal prison for methamphetamine trafficking and violations of supervised release. U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani announced the sentencing.
Maldonado, aged 58, pleaded guilty on February 1, 2024, to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. U.S. District Judge David S. Morales sentenced him to 188 months in federal prison followed by five years of supervised release for this offense.
During the hearing, it was revealed that Maldonado was on supervised release for two prior federal drug cases from 2000 and 2013 when he was arrested again for distributing narcotics. He is a long-time member of the Texas Syndicate prison gang.
Judge Morales also considered Maldonado's violations of supervised release related to his previous convictions. He received additional sentences of 50 and 24 months for the cases from 2000 and 2013, respectively. The court ordered that the 50-month sentence be served concurrently and that 12 months of the 24-month sentence run consecutively with his current sentence, totaling 200 months in federal prison.
In delivering the sentences, Judge Morales emphasized Maldonado’s extensive criminal history and highlighted the importance of consequences for violating supervised release conditions.
In mid-2023, law enforcement discovered that Maldonado was distributing narcotics from his elderly parent's home. Following an investigation spanning several months, authorities executed a federal search warrant on August 29, 2023. They seized over 83 grams of heroin and nearly 40 grams of methamphetamine along with jail letters confirming Maldonado's active status in the Texas Syndicate gang.
Maldonado will remain in custody until he is transferred to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility yet to be determined.
The Drug Enforcement Administration led an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation with support from the FBI, Corpus Christi Police Department, and Homeland Security Investigations. OCDETF aims to identify and dismantle high-level criminal organizations threatening the United States through a coordinated multi-agency approach. More information about OCDETF can be found on the Department of Justice’s website.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Barbara J. De Pena and Brittany Jensen prosecuted this case.