GALVESTON, Texas – A man has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for distributing cocaine and heroin throughout the United States, the Department of Justice announced Tuesday.
Emilio Ramon Torres, 44, was convicted of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute five or more kilograms of cocaine and one or more kilograms of heroin as well as possession with intent to distribute 16 kilograms of cocaine by a federal jury following an 11-day trial in August 2022. Torres, who is from the Dominican Republic, could also lose his status to reside in the United States, U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani said.
Recommended Videos
According to a news release, the investigation focused on a group of distributors and their associates who used common sources of drugs in Mexico to supply their customers in numerous states other than Texas. The group reportedly sold cocaine and heroin throughout the United States but operated out of the Houston area.
Investigators said Torres worked within the drug trafficking organization by stashing cocaine at his apartment in Houston. He received shipments of cocaine and held them at his residence until instructed about how much to make available for delivery to customers, the DOJ said.
“The defense attempted to convince the jury Torres was an honest person who would not engage in drug distribution. The jury did not believe those claims and found Torres guilty as charged,” the release said.
Torres 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 Homeland Security Investigations conducted the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation dubbed “Wrecking Ball” with the assistance of the Houston Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth Cusick is prosecuting the case.
MORE STORIES