United States Drug Enforcement Administration

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - Mark R. Trouville, Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement (DEA), Miami Field Division, and Robert E. O'Neill, United States Attorney for the Middle District of Florida, announced today that U.S. District Judge Timothy J. Corrigan sentenced Amadeo Hernandez Jaimes, a/k/a "Amadeo" and "Mayo" (39, Mission, Texas) to 300 months in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute 5 kilograms or more of cocaine. Jaimes, the lead trafficker in a 47 person cocaine trafficking conspiracy, pleaded guilty to an indictment on January 18, 2012. Forty-one others have already been arrested and convicted for participating in the conspiracy.

According to court documents, from 2008 through early 2010, Jaimes and his co-conspirators delivered in excess of 600 kilograms of cocaine from Mission, (a border city between the United States and Mexico) to the Crescent City area in Florida. The cocaine was ultimately redistributed throughout central and northeast Florida. Court records show that the conspirators shipped multiple quantities of cocaine into the region by concealing the drugs inside altered automobile parts and hidden compartments. Couriers for the trafficking operation were paid between $1,000 and $2,500 per trip.

In 2008, James Charles (who was previously sentenced to life in federal prison) was looking for a source of cocaine supply and was introduced to Jaimes via John (previously sentenced to 165 months in federal prison). A short time thereafter, Jaimes shipped approximately 50 kilograms of cocaine to Satsuma and Deland, Florida. Jones and others re-sold portions of that cocaine to other Putnam County and Jacksonville cocaine traffickers, including Irvin Bernard Ashley and Freddie Lamar (both of whom are awaiting sentencing).

Over the ensuing several months, until April 2009, Jaimes continued to ship between 40 and 50 kilograms of cocaine at a time. From these shipments, Charles Jones obtained up to 15 kilograms of the 40 kilograms of cocaine. Cocaine traffickers working for Jaimes took the remaining kilograms of cocaine to other customers in the central Florida area.

In late 2008 until April 2009, Jaimes also sent additional smaller multi-kilogram cocaine shipments to the Palatka, Florida area via two couriers, Emily Joyce (sentenced to 46 months in federal prison) and Robert (sentenced to 84 months in federal prison).

On April 17, 2009, agents from the DEA and detectives from the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office seized a total of 83 kilograms of cocaine and $87,170 from two houses in East Palatka, which were controlled by Charles Jones. Albertano Hernandez (sentenced to 87 months in federal prison) and Charles Jones, among others, were arrested. The ensuing investigation revealed that the source of the cocaine was Amadeo Hernandez Jaimes.

This case was investigated by the DEA Jacksonville District Office.