Florida Drug Traffickers Convicted for Large-Scale Cocaine Operation

PLANO, Texas – A jury in Plano, Texas has convicted two Florida men of drug trafficking violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei today.

Omar Daniel Garcia-Agosto and Steven Thomas Mathis were found guilty by a jury for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine following a week-long trial before U.S. District Judge Sean Jordan.

“Today’s guilty verdict sends a clear message to drug traffickers,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.  “The Eastern District is dedicated to dismantling their organizations—from top to bottom—and disrupting the flow of illegal drugs through the State of Texas.  We appreciate the hard work of the DEA as well as our state and local partners in putting this case together.”

According to evidence presented in court, from at least January 2019, and continuing until their arrests in December 2019, Garcia-Agosto, 46, of Deltona, FL, and Mathis, 34, of Orlando, FL, were involved in a drug trafficking operation that was responsible for distributing hundreds of kilograms of cocaine through the United States, including the North Texas area.  Supplied by members of the Cartel Del Noreste in Mexico, the cocaine was sent to Laredo, Dallas, and Houston, Texas.  From there, couriers transported the multi-kilogram shipments by car to Florida and locations in New York.  The defendants then purchased and distributed cocaine throughout the United States.  The investigation included the seizure of approximately 30 kilograms of cocaine and more than $300,000 in currency.

Following their conviction at trial, each defendant faces a minimum of 10 years and up to life in federal prison.  The maximum statutory sentence prescribed by Congress is provided here for information purposes, as the sentencing will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.  A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the U.S. Probation Office.

This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

This case was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, the Rockwall Police Department, the Mesquite Police Department, Lewisville Police Department, the Collin County Sheriff’s Office and the North Texas Criminal Interdiction Unit.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Ernest Gonzalez and Colleen Bloss and Special Assistant United States Attorney Bethany R. Pickett.

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