HOUSTON – A 42-year-old man in Houston has been ordered to federal prison for drug trafficking and unlawfully possessing a rocket launcher, rocket-propelled grenades, guns and ammunition, the Department of Justice announced Thursday.
Alfredo Gonzalez-Diaz pleaded guilty on May 26, 2022, to conspiracy to distribute kilograms of heroin and cocaine and illegal possession of a firearm. U.S. District Judge Alfred H. Bennett ordered Gonzalez-Diaz to serve a total of 175 months in federal prison. Not a U.S. citizen, he is expected to face removal proceedings following his imprisonment, a news release said.
Recommended Videos
U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani said as part of the undercover investigation into individuals affiliated with the CJNG, law enforcement executed a federal search warrant and seized 8.5 kilograms of heroin and approximately two kilograms of cocaine. Authorities also reportedly seized a rocket launcher, two rocket-propelled grenades and two guns inside a stereo speaker prepared for transport to Mexico.
“A rocket launcher, two rocket-propelled grenades, 8.5 kilos of heroin, and lots, and lots, of cash,” said Hamdani. “These are the tools of terror of the Mexican cartels. Cartels like Jalisco New Generation (CJNG) Cartel threaten our communities and our families. This U.S. Attorney’s Office will not rest until we seize the cartel’s weapons, drugs and cash, and welcome those, like Gonzalez-Diaz, to the inside of a prison cell.”
Authorities said the investigation also revealed the weapons were destined for imminent distribution to the CJNG in Mexico.
Gonzalez-Diaz will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the future.
The Houston Police Department; Drug Enforcement Administration; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and Homeland Security Investigations conducted this investigation as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Shelley J. Sullivan and Lisa Collins prosecuted this case.
SIMILAR STORIES