A Mexican national has been sentenced to 37 months in federal prison for his role in cocaine trafficking and human smuggling, as reported by the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Jorge Armando Morado, 44, was also ordered to forfeit more than $600,000 in alleged proceeds from his crimes. The sentence was handed down in a federal court in San Antonio.
According to court documents referenced by the Justice Department, Morado and his son, Jorge Armando Morado Moreno, engaged in a family business of illegalities. On July 16, 2023, they orchestrated a cocaine sale, where Morado senior set up his son to sell cocaine to an undercover deputy. Law enforcement encountered them during a subsequent deal, and approximately one kilogram of cocaine was found in Moreno’s vehicle. Morado pleaded guilty on June 26, 2024, to one count of conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute a significant quantity of cocaine and another for conspiring to shelter and move illegal aliens.
Search warrants executed at the residences of the Morado family yielded notable discoveries. More than $600,000 in cash was found in Morado's master bedroom, alongside a firearm and a suspected drug ledger. Notably, five illegal aliens were found housed in an otherwise empty room in his house, highlighting the grim conditions of the human smuggling side of their operation. "This case serves as a stark reminder that alien smuggling is not a victimless crime, but rather a for-profit enterprise," said U.S. Attorney Justin Simmons in a statement obtained by the Justice Department.
As a part of the investigation team, the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office, Homeland Security Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the San Antonio Police Department played integral roles. Morado's son, Moreno, previously pleaded guilty to similar charges and received a lighter sentence of 21 months in federal prison. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Fedock prosecuted the case, ensuring that the culprits faced consequences for their blending of narcotics trade and exploitation of desperate individuals seeking passage.
