DALLAS — A Dallas cartel group leader was sentenced to more than 16 years in prison on Wednesday after pleading guilty for charges related to drug trafficking, according to the U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Texas.
Federal officials said Carlos Espinoza-Juarez, 33, pleaded guilty in July 2020 to money laundering and conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute heroin. A U.S. district judge sentenced Espinoza-Juarez to 16 years and eight months.
According to a press release from the U.S. Department of Justice, Carlos Espinoza-Juarez was a local Dallas cell head who worked with the Santa Rosa Lima Drug Cartel and other Mexico-based drug trafficking organizations.
Espinoza-Juarez admitted to directing people to deliver ounces of heroin to buyers in exchange for money on two separate occasions in 2015 – once in February and again about a month later. He also admitted to orchestrating a series of other drug deliveries, spanning from Texas to South Carolina, over the course of at least four years, federal officials said in the press release.
As part of his plea deal, Espinoza-Juarez agreed to forfeit more than $35,000, six firearms and two vehicles. Federal prosecutors said Espinoza-Juarez, who is a Mexican national, would face deportation after he has served his sentence.
Seven other people have been convicted in this case. They are:
- Edwin Contreras-Diaz, aka “Flaco” – pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute heroin
- Heriberto Talamantes-Ceballos – pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute heroin
- Marcos Fernando Valle – pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine
- Adrian Lopez Olalde – pleaded guilty to money laundering and was sentenced to 72 months in federal prison
- Omar Suarez-Garcia – pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute heroin
- Bianca Jeannette Martinez – pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute heroin
- John Paul Sanchez – pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute heroin