A Houston-based Mexican national has been clapped in irons for almost 20 years after pleading guilty to running a drug-peddling operation from a local barber shop. According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, the 45-year-old Merbin Leodan Inestroza-Perez will be spending 235 months in federal prison for his crimes which involved distributing nearly 50 kilograms of various narcotics.
Inestroza-Perez, who pleaded guilty back in October, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge David Hittner, who took note of the hefty haul of drugs and queried his family about their awareness of the narcotics' volume. "The court emphasized that authorities seized 500 grams of fentanyl from Inestroza-Perez and its potential deadly effects," stated an account from the U.S. Attorney's Office. Considering the lethal potency of the drugs, especially fentanyl, the judge underscored the pernicious impact of Inestroza-Perez's deeds on the community.
During a sting operation on March 25, law enforcement agents carried out a controlled delivery which led them to uncover a massive stash of illegal substances at Inestroza-Perez's residence. A search revealed 30 kilograms of cocaine and nearly 18 kilograms of meth, plus the fentanyl and eight firearms. The narcotics tally reached an estimated street worth of $850,000.
The DEA, with assists from the Texas Department of Public Safety and the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, spearheaded the investigation. The probe also unearthed Inestroza-Perez's connections with other conspirators in South Texas, all of whom have been convicted and are pending sentencing. After his prison term, the man, who is currently in custody, is expected to face removal proceedings due to his illegal residency status.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jimmy Leo. Inestroza-Perez’s sentencing is the latest in a series of concerted efforts by U.S. law enforcement to clamp down on drug trafficking within the nation’s borders. The convict now awaits transfer to a yet-to-be-determined U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility.
