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DALLAS – A Mexican national with ties to the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) was sentenced Wednesday to 40 years in prison for her role in a major methamphetamine trafficking and money laundering operation, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton announced.
Adriana Melendez-Calvillo, 43, who was unlawfully present in the United States, pleaded guilty in November to charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and money laundering. Her conviction, handed down by U.S. District Judge Brantley Starr, marks a major victory in the fight against transnational drug trafficking networks.
Court records show that in September 2022, law enforcement intercepted a phone call between Melendez and a co-conspirator discussing a drug transaction. Surveillance later tracked Melendez to a fast food restaurant, where she transferred drugs to associates David Garcia and Omar Gilliam. The operation culminated in a traffic stop, during which police seized a duffel bag containing nearly 10 pounds of methamphetamine.
During the sentencing hearing, prosecutors presented evidence linking Melendez to direct shipments of methamphetamine, cocaine and other drugs from sources in Mexico. She was also involved in laundering $828,094 in drug proceeds through electronic transfers to individuals in Mexico and attempting to smuggle $104,750 in cash across the border. Investigators revealed her involvement in trafficking at least 1,000 pounds of cocaine, 41 kilograms of methamphetamine and 7.8 kilograms of ice methamphetamine.
An agent testified that Melendez had ties to CJNG, a powerful and violent transnational criminal organization responsible for narcotics trafficking in North America. Text messages presented in court detailed her coordination of drug shipments and financial transactions with cartel suppliers in Mexico.
Several co-conspirators have already pleaded guilty, including David Garcia, who will be sentenced in January. Others, including Omar Gilliam and three other suspects, are awaiting trial. All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
The investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Dallas Field Division, with assistance from multiple federal, state and local agencies, including the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Texas Department of Public Safety and the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations Section. The case was prosecuted as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) initiative, which targets high-level drug traffickers and transnational criminal networks.
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