United States Drug Enforcement Administration

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 41-year-old Pharr resident has been ordered to federal prison following his conviction of conspiring to sell narcotics to undercover law enforcement, announced Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Special Agent in Charge Daniel C. Comeaux, Houston Division and U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.

Paublo Rueben pleaded guilty July 27, 2022.

Today, U.S. District Judge David S. Morales ordered Rueben to serve 240 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by five years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard about Rueben’s extensive criminal history and the fact that he was on state probation for a narcotics charge at the time of this offense.

During an undercover operation in February 2022, authorities negotiated the purchase of three kilograms of meth and two kilograms of cocaine from a narcotics supplier located in Mexico. They set a time and location to meet with Rueben and his co-defendant, Hector Vasquez Garcia, 46, Alamo, who would be delivering the drugs.

On Feb. 18, 2022, Rueben met with undercover authorities. At that time, they discussed how the narcotics were to be transported and compensation of the supplier.

Shortly after, law enforcement located a vehicle in which Rueben had traveled, conducted a search and located the meth and cocaine in a hidden compartment. Authorities then took Rueben and Garcia into custody.

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

Garcia is set for sentencing March 29. He remains in custody pending that hearing.

The Drug Enforcement Administration and Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Live Oak County Sheriff’s Office, George West Police Department and Texas Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorney Barbara J. De Peña prosecuted the case.