A Laredo judge has sentenced Rebeca Guzman-Rios to 10 years in federal prison for her involvement in a cocaine distribution conspiracy. Guzman-Rios, aged 39 and from Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, Mexico, previously pleaded guilty to her role in the delivery of over 10 kilograms of cocaine. Her sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
The sentence was delivered by U.S. District Judge Diana Saldana, who also sentenced accomplice Rogelio Garcia-Ayala to five years. Both Guzman-Rios and Garcia-Ayala, who is not a U.S. citizen, are expected to face removal proceedings after completing their prison terms.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, along with Customs and Border Protection and the Texas Department of Public Safety, conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Manuel Cardenas is handling the prosecution. The case forms part of Operation Take Back America, a Department of Justice initiative targeting illegal immigration and cartel activities.
Details of the conspiracy indicated that a cartel hitman dispatched Guzman-Rios to Laredo to facilitate the cocaine sale. In April 2024, she crossed the border at the Gateway to the Americas International Bridge and met Ana Maria Escobedo, who accompanied her to the drug transaction site.
Cesar Gerardo Rodriguez Salazar and Brenda Odet Nery Castro retrieved the cocaine from a CDN stash house and handed it to Francisco Herrera-Moresco. Garcia-Ayala drove Herrera-Moresco to the meeting point, but a misunderstanding led Herrera-Moresco, Escobedo, and the cocaine to leave the area prematurely.
Law enforcement pursued Escobedo's vehicle when it fled on noticing police presence. During the pursuit, the cocaine was discarded from the vehicle. After colliding with a fence, Escobedo and Herrera-Moresco were arrested, along with Salazar, Castro, and Guzman-Rios, who remained at the planned transaction site. The authorities also recovered the discarded cocaine.
U.S. Attorney Ganjei reiterated a firm stance against cartel activities, stating, “If you work with, work for, or assist CDN, or any other cartel, you will be arrested and prosecuted to full extent of the law, without exception. The cartels are not welcome in Texas.”
Mexican citizens Salazar, Herrera-Moresco, and Castro had previously received shorter prison sentences, as did Escobedo of Laredo, who received a 65-month sentence. All remain in custody as per the latest updates.
Operation Take Back America is specifically designed to tackle illegal immigration and criminal organizations, employing the combined resources of the Department of Justice to protect communities from violent crimes.