“Sol Prendido” for Borderland Beat
A trio of Laredoans are heading to jail due to their part in a drug trafficking conspiracy.
Cesar Mendiola, 57; Rafael Rodriguez, 63; and Jose Angel Rodriguez III, 34; were each sentenced due to their roles in a conspiracy to distribute cocaine and launder money, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Mendiola was given more than 12 1/2 years in prison — 151 months — while Rodriguez III received two years and Rodriguez one year. All three also were given at least three years of supervised release after their sentences.
U.S. District Judge Lee H Rosenthal heard the case. The trio had all previously plead guilty on June 7.
A fourth man — Jose Angel Rodriguez Jr., 60 — was also previously convicted in the conspiracy. He is set to be sentenced at a later date.
One other individual — Elizardo Vasquez, 31 — has also been sentenced to 32 months due to his involvement.
The USAO said a total of $25,400 in drug proceeds were forfeited by Mendiola as part of the decision, and that evidence was presented suggesting the drug trafficking organization had ties to the CDN cartel.
Authorities seized about 22 pounds of cocaine and more than $147,000 in drug proceeds through the course of the investigation.
The investigation revealed that brothers Jose Angel Rodriguez Jr. and Rafael Rodriguez received pounds of cocaine from a source in Mexico and provide that cocaine to Mendiola for further distribution in and around Laredo, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
Authorities said that Jose Angel Rodriguez III kept records of transactions and drug proceeds for his father, Jose Angel Rodriguez Jr.
The Drug Enforcement Administration and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces operation with the assistance of the Webb County District Attorney’s Office, the Webb County Sheriff’s Office and the United ISD Police Department.
