United States Attorney Sarah R. Saldaña
Northern District of Texas

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2011
http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/txn/

COCAINE TRAFFICKERS SENTENCED

DALLAS — The final three defendants convicted in a cocaine trafficking ring that operated in the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex, were sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Ed Kinkeade to substantial federal prison sentences, announced U.S. Attorney Sarah R. Saldaña of the Northern District of Texas.

The leader of the organization, Christopher David Rodriguez, 34, of Dallas, was sentenced to 140 months in federal prison. He pleaded guilty in May 2011 to conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance, cocaine. Co-conspirators Michael Valdez Rodriguez, 33, and Marcus “Marky” Gutierrez, 26, were sentenced to 48 months and 60 months, respectively. Another co-defendant in the case, Eugene Luis Guerra, 34, was sentenced earlier this month to 36 months in prison.

In January 2010, law enforcement agents from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and Mesquite Police Department began an investigation into a drug trafficking organization headed by Chris Rodriguez. That month alone, law enforcement seized more than twelve kilograms of cocaine, approximately 500 pounds of marijuana, numerous empty narcotics wrappers, drug ledgers, money counting devices, digital scales and a Glock handgun from Chris Rodriguez, Michael Rodriguez and Eugene Guerra. Law enforcement believes that the Rodriguez Drug Trafficking Organization was responsible for the distribution of hundreds of kilograms of cocaine and marijuana from 2003 through January 2010.

Deputy Criminal Chief Assistant U.S. Attorney Jay Dewald was in charge of the prosecution.

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