Mica for cartelinsider.com
A criminal leader from H-town was sentenced to 216 months in prison in the United States (US) for trafficking drugs from the Northeast Cartel (criminal organization in Mexico) for almost a decade, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
The sentenced individual is a 44-year-old man identified as Francisco René Luna, who led a criminal group that used three locations in Houston to store drugs that were sent from Mexican territory.
According to prosecutor Alamdar S. Hamdani, “Luna admitted to being the leader of a drug trafficking organization while residing in Houston.” The main role of this individual was to oversee the monthly delivery of smuggled cocaine shipments in private vehicles.
“The Gulf Cartel supplied cocaine,” detailed the DEA. These activities were carried out for eight years, between 2011 and 2019, until he was finally arrested in Mexico. During that period, Luna alerted US authorities about the narcotics being distributed in the country.
For the past nine years, the anti-drug agency had been following Luna’s movements. In December 2015, they managed to seize 176 kilograms of cocaine, two kilograms of methamphetamine, and $3.5 million that came from profits of drug sales.
These actions were carried out after executing search warrants at the hideouts Luna had in Houston (their respective addresses were not disclosed). Over the course of four years, this criminal leader was on the run from justice and continued with the distribution of cocaine provided by the Gulf Cartel.
It was until June 2019 when Luna was arrested in Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, “as part of a joint operation of Mexican and American law enforcement agencies.” Later, he was extradited to the neighboring country.
Once in his native country, Luna was transferred to Houston, where he pleaded guilty to drug trafficking conspiracy on April 11, 2022. As a result, on February 20, 2024 he was sentenced to 18 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release.
In that sense, his release is scheduled for 2042, when he will be approximately 62 years old. “Luna will remain detained awaiting transfer to a correctional facility of the United States Bureau of Prisons,” the DEA stated.
The Gulf Cartel is a criminal organization whose main stronghold is located in the border state of Tamaulipas, in cities such as Nuevo Laredo, Reynosa and Matamoros. However, it has also expanded its illegal activities to other states such as Nuevo Leon.
In order to ensure the success of its operations, the Gulf Cartel has armed branches and factions that are responsible for fighting against opposing groups and disputing territory in other states of the Republic. Among them stand out The Scorpions, The Cyclones and The Bald Ones.
In addition to drug trafficking, the organization has been involved in other crimes committed in northern Mexico, such as human trafficking, kidnappings, and extortion.
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Mica
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