Man who arranged cross-country drug shipment sent to prison

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 49-year-old Alamo resident has been sentenced to prison for selling eight kilograms of cocaine, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.

Daniel Zintura Sr. pleaded guilty May 25 to possession with intent to distribute cocaine.

U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos has how ordered Zintura to serve 151 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by five years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence regarding Zintura’s criminal history which included a prior federal drug trafficking conviction for which he was on supervised release at the time he committed this offense. In handing down the sentence, the court noted Zintura’s repeated criminal conduct, the large amount of narcotics involved in his case and his prior conviction for the same offense. Judge Ramos also noted how drugs can destroy communities.

In March 2022, Zintura arranged for the transportation of eight kilograms of cocaine across the United States to Maryland for him. On March 17, 2022, he met another individual at a local home improvement store to hand off the cocaine to be transported to Houston. Law enforcement immediately arrested him and took him into custody.  

Zintura will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Barbara J. De Peña prosecuted the case.