A 46-year-old Red Oak man has been sentenced to 99 years in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice and ordered to pay a $250,000 fine after a jury found him guilty of possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver. The punishment capped a multi-year investigation into interstate shipments of methamphetamine, cocaine, heroin and fentanyl, officials said. The defendant, identified in court filings as Che de Aztlan Martinez, had turned down plea offers and rolled the dice on a jury trial.
According to a press release from the Ellis County & District Attorney's Office, shared on the Red Oak Police Department, officers stopped a Dodge Challenger for a traffic violation on Feb. 3, 2023, and found two one-kilogram bricks of cocaine in a bag in the back seat. Forensic analysis of both suspects' cell phones and banking records allegedly tied Martinez to a multi-party trafficking organization that moved hundreds of pounds of illegal drugs across the country. Prosecutors say he also arranged large wire transfers to accounts in Central America and Michoacán.
Investigation and evidence
Assistant County and District Attorney Garett Smith, quoted in the release, said the verdict was meant to send a message that Ellis County will not tolerate drug traffickers who, in his words, exploit and destroy our community for profit. The same release notes that Martinez has prior convictions for possession of a felony amount of marijuana, possession of a controlled substance and burglary of a habitation. One co-defendant, Eric Mancera, accepted a plea deal in 2024 and received a 30-year sentence.
Trial and sentence
Martinez rejected all plea offers and insisted on a jury trial before being convicted of possession with intent to deliver, according to the DA's office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant County and District Attorneys Garett Smith and Sherry Roeder; the The Dallas Express notes that both are active prosecutors in Ellis County.
Why it matters
Officials said the outcome shows how a basic traffic stop, backed up by coordinated detective work and digital forensics, can peel back the layers of larger trafficking networks. With fentanyl and meth still driving overdose and enforcement concerns across North Texas, prosecutors framed the nearly century-long sentence as a warning shot to organized suppliers.
Legal notes
Possession with intent to deliver is a felony under Texas law, with penalties that ramp up based on drug quantity and prior convictions. Prosecutors said the combination of drug weight, alleged money transfers and Martinez's criminal history raised his potential exposure significantly. Martinez remains eligible to appeal, and the Ellis County DA's office emphasized that interagency cooperation, from Red Oak detectives to DA investigators, was central to securing the conviction and sentence.
