El Paso Man Sentenced to 7 Years in Federal Prison for Brokering 25 Kilogram Cocaine Deal

Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Michael J. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration for New England, announced that ANDREW DURON, also known as “Chavo,” 35, of El Paso, Texas, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Alker Meyer in New Haven to 84 months of imprisonment, followed by four years of supervised release, for brokering a 25 kilogram cocaine transaction.

According to court documents and statements made in court, DURON was involved in a cocaine trafficking organization that transported cocaine from Texas to Connecticut.  In 2014, the organization attempted to find an additional source of supply for its Hartford area cocaine customers.  In July 2014, a DEA confidential source met DURON in North Carolina.  During the meeting, DURON told the confidential source that he wanted to purchase up to 50 kilograms of cocaine for $28,000 per kilogram.  On August 14, 2014, DURON, the confidential source and an undercover DEA agent met in New Jersey where DURON agreed to purchase 25 kilograms of cocaine.  In subsequent conversations with the confidential source, DURON stated that he wanted an extra $1000 per kilogram as a side deal.  They agreed on a total price of $725,000 for 25 kilograms of cocaine.

On August 23, 2014, DURON met the undercover DEA agent at a location in Wethersfield.  DURON told the undercover agent that his associates were in Connecticut and that DURON and the undercover agent would need to travel to a store parking lot near Bradley International Airport to verify that the money was in place.  DURON and the undercover agent then drove in separate vehicles to a store parking lot on Kennedy Road in Windsor.  After DURON met two of his associates in the store, one of DURON’s associates met the undercover agent in the parking lot, showed him a duffel bag and said it contained “half” of the money.  Shortly thereafter, investigators arrived at the scene and arrested DURON and two of his associates.  Investigators also recovered from the vehicle driven by DURON’s associate a duffel bag containing approximately $284,000 in cash, and a loaded .38 caliber revolver.

DURON has been detained since his arrest.  On May 20, 2015, he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine.

Eight individuals have been charged at a result of this investigation.

This investigation is being led by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Hartford Task Force, including personnel from the DEA Hartford Resident Office and the Bristol, Hartford, Manchester, New Britain, Newington, and Wethersfield Police Departments.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian P. Leaming.