A Mexican national is on the fast track to federal prison after a Texas court dealt him a 140-month sentence for his leading role in a hefty cocaine smuggling operation, the U.S. Attorney's Office reported. Jesus Alfonso Leos-Orozco, hailing from Valle Hermoso, Tamaulipas, Mexico, was found to have smuggled no less than 150 kilos of cocaine into the United States.
Caught in the web of justice, 37-year-old Leos-Orozco didn't contest the charges, tendering a guilty plea on May 1, 2023. According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, U.S. District Judge Fernando Rodriguez Jr. took a strong stance on the issue, doling out a sentence that Leos-Orozco will serve before likely facing removal from the country. The decision was influenced by key factors including the severity of the offense and the defendant’s significant involvement.
Leos-Orozco orchestrated a sophisticated trafficking network using his commercial trucking business, "Leos Auto Transportes De Carga," to facilitate drug smuggling. The operation was so meticulous that Leos-Orozco, dirty money in hand, would charge $500 per kilogram of cocaine transported, and gave his drivers a cut of $250 per kilo for their silent complicity, as revealed in the court proceedings.
An extensive investigation led by Homeland Security Investigations connected Leos-Orozco to at least 20 border crossings where his tractor trailers were used as Trojan horses, ferrying cocaine under the guise of legitimate commerce. Surveillance footage ensnared Leos-Orozco, plainly showing his involvement in the narcotics trade. He was seen escorting a considerable shipment of drugs to another driver, the government's attorneys narrated.
As a consequence of his admitted guilt and the weight of evidence against him, Leos-Orozco will be biding his time behind bars pending his transfer to a federal penitentiary that has yet to be determined. His sentence also comes with three years of supervised release.
The case was cracked wide open thanks to dedicated officers and prosecutors, with Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paul Marian and Luis Salazar leading the legal charge against Leos-Orozco.
