Eight operatives of a Mexican drug cartel were sentenced to U.S. federal prison for their role in running a Methamphetamine distribution ring in Atlanta, Georgia.
Court records don’t specify which drug cartel the group belonged to, but most of the members were Mexican nationals. The group often spoke with a Mexican drug trafficker identified in court documents as “El Licenciado”, court records obtained by Breitbart Texas show.
The case began in early 2012 when federal agents with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration began looking into a methamphetamine manufacturing and distribution network that had been set up by 40-year-old Candido “Primo” Ortuno Alvear. The agents set up a wiretapping operation in order to identify the members of the network and their operations. The group would get their supplies from Mexico and manufacture the methamphetamine in Atlanta which they would also distribute locally. During one of the raids federal agents not only seized drugs but also a handgun.
Throughout 2013 and 2014, all eight members of the cell plead guilty to drug conspiracy and other drug charges.
“These defendants thought that their drug trafficking operations would go unnoticed in Clayton County neighborhoods,” said U.S. Attorney Sally Quillian Yates. “They were wrong. Due to the outstanding efforts of DEA agents and their local law enforcement partners, these traffickers are off our streets and headed to federal prison.”
During a sentencing hearing, before U.S. District Judge Amy Totenberg 40-year-old Candido “Primo” Ortuno Alvear the group’s de-facto leader received a sentence of 21 years and 10 months in prison. Victor “Pelon” Otruno Penaloza, Ortuno’s son and a lieutenant within the cartel cell was sentenced to nine years and eight months in prison.
Other members of the group also received federal sentences.
-Vicente “Chivo” Arana Galvan, 44, the brother in law of Ortuno Alvear was sentenced to 10 years and eight months in prison.
-Tomas “Tomato” Sanchez, 27, Ortuno’s cousin and main distributor received a 12 years and seven months prison sentence.
-Pablo Maldonado, 30, was sentenced to nine years in prison.
-Octavio Cruz Alvar, 29, was sentenced to six years and six months in prison
-Robert Dale Penland, 55, was sentenced to eight years and five months in prison.
-Alonso “Chicola” Rivera, 31, will spend 10 years in prison.
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