A 23-year-old man has been sentenced to a decade in federal prison for plotting a murder-for-hire, the U.S. Attorney's Office in Southern Texas announced. Alejandro Cardona-Rodriguez, originally from Mexico and residing in Houston at the time of his arrest, entered a guilty plea earlier this year on May 11 for orchestrating a plan to kill an ex-girlfriend’s new partner.
During the trial, U.S. District Judge Diana Saldana ordered Cardona-Rodriguez to serve 10 years, the maximum allowed under the law, followed by three years of supervised release, details contained within a press release by the Department of Justice. The court also factored in the defendant's assault of another inmate while awaiting sentencing. The judge underscored the "seriousness of the offense," noting Cardona-Rodriguez's "continued propensity for violence."
The case began in January 2023 when Cardona-Rodriguez was caught negotiating a murder fee over Facebook and WhatsApp, using both text and voice messages. He provided photographs and a location where the prospective victim could be found, which ultimately led to his capture and prosecution by authorities. This information was disclosed by the U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani's office.
Following his conviction, Cardona-Rodriguez confessed to utilizing interstate, and foreign facilities as part of his murder-for-hire scheme. Now, he awaits transfer to a federal prison that has yet to be determined, where he will begin serving his sentence, the Department of Justice press release highlighted. The FBI, together with the Laredo Police Department, played integral roles in the investigation leading to Cardona-Rodriguez's arrest and subsequent conviction.
The Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mary Ellen Smyth and Mike Makens who prosecuted the case, have not publicized any further details about the intended victim or the depth of planning that went into the failed murder plot.
