A Mexican federal prosecutor living in the U.S. illegally will spend nearly six years in prison for trafficking more than 70 pounds of cocaine.
On Thursday, 56-year-old Rogelio Alberto Velasco went before U.S. District Judge Randy Crane who sentenced him to 5 years and 10 months in prison on drug trafficking charges. Since Velasco was living in the U.S. illegally, he will also face deportation after his sentence is completed. Velasco previously pleaded guilty to the charges filed against him in July.
The case began in January when DEA agents in McAllen, Texas, received a tip about cocaine being distributed in the nearby border city of Mission. The agents set up an undercover operation and purchased a kilogram from Velasco. The next day, the agents carried out another undercover operation and purchased two more kilograms. Soon after, they raided Velasco’s home and found 29 kilos of cocaine.
According to U.S. prosecutors, Velasco was a prosecutor with Mexico’s Attorney General’s office and obtained his law degree in that country in 1995. Available court documents do not reveal which criminal organization or cartel Velasco got his drugs from, however federal authorities claim he was in constant phone contact with them.
Luisana Moreno is a contributing writer for Breitbart Texas.