58 Kilograms of Cocaine Destined for West Tennessee Seized; Trafficker Sentenced to Federal Prison
58 kilograms of cocaine, hidden in a speaker box and found by law enforcement officers from the Texas Department of Safety during a traffic stop on August 9, 2025.
Memphis, TN – Erick Chaparro-Gamboa, 28, of Denver, Colorado, has been sentenced to federal prison for his role in conspiring to transport 58 kilograms of cocaine into West Tennessee. United States Attorney D. Michael Dunavant announced the sentence today.
According to information presented in court, on August 9, 2025, the Texas Department of Safety conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle driven by the defendant. After searching the vehicle, troopers located 58 kilograms of cocaine hidden in a speaker box. The Texas Department of Safety contacted the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to assist.
Upon investigation, investigators determined that the narcotics were destined for West Tennessee. The narcotics had an estimated street value of $750,000.
A federal grand jury in the Western District of Tennessee indicted Gamboa on September 9, 2025 for Conspiracy to Possess with the Intent to Distribute Cocaine. On January 9, 2026, Gamboa pled guilty as charged. On April 17, 2026, United States District Judge Thomas L. Parker sentenced the defendant to 54 months in the Federal Bureau of Prisons, followed by a three-year period of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said, "Criminal enterprises that distribute harmful drugs into West Tennessee can no longer hide. We are taking the fight to the drug trafficking organizations who want to poison our citizens for their greed and profit. I commend the outstanding investigative efforts by DEA and our other state and local law enforcement partners in this important and impactful case."
“Mexican drug traffickers are on notice…you and your poison are not welcome here, find a new line of work,” said Special Agent in Charge Jim Scott, head of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Louisville Field Division. “This case highlights how effective law enforcement can be when we all work together, from the state and local level, up to the federal level.”
This case was the result of multiple agencies working together in the investigation and prosecution: DEA Memphis, TN; DEA Amarillo, TX; Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), McAllen, TX; Texas Department of Safety; and the Germantown, TN Police Department.
Assistant United States Attorney Gregory D. Allen prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.
