El Paso Cocaine Trafficker Sentenced To Federal Prison
EL PASO, TX - Joseph M. Arabit, Special Agent in Charge of the El Paso Division of the Drug Enforcement (DEA), and John Murphy, United States Attorney for the Western District of Texas, announced Judge Frank Montalvo sentenced 32-year-old Julio Cesar Burciaga of El Paso, to 14 years in federal prison followed by eight years of supervised release.
On March 2, 2010, Burciaga pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute cocaine. He is the last of six defendants to be sentenced for their roles in a cocaine trafficking organization led by Rigoberto Melero Aguirre. Aguirre’s organization-aligned with the Juarez Cartel-was responsible for the distribution of over six tons of cocaine since 1996. Aguirre managed a network of dozens of individual who imported cocaine from Mexico into El Paso then distributed the cocaine in Texas, New Mexico and New York. Aguirre also directed the repatriation of tens of millions of dollars of drug proceeds from the United States back to Mexico. Last week, Aguirre was sentenced to life in federal prison.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, El Paso Police Department, El Paso County Sheriff’s Department and the Texas Department of Public Safety.
The DEA El Paso Division encourages parents, and their children to visit the following interactive websites at www.GetSmartAboutDrugs.com, www.JustThinkTwice.comand www.dea.gov.
