United States Drug Enforcement Administration

HOUSTON -  A 46-year-old resident of Houston has been ordered to federal prison for his conviction of trafficking nearly six kilograms of methamphetamine, announced Drug Enforcement (DEA) Special Agent in Charge Will Glaspy, Houston Division and U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick. Marco Antonio Aparicio-Santos pleaded guilty Aug. 12, 2016.

Today, Senior U.S. District Judge David Hittner sentenced Ortiz-Flores to 210 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by five years of supervised release. At the time of his plea, Aparicio-Santos admitted to playing a key role in attempting to deliver methamphetamine in the Houston area.

On June 13, 2014, a confidential source mistakenly received several bundles which contained approximately six kilograms of methamphetamine from two unknown male couriers working with him. The couriers had approached the source and mistakenly threw a bag in his car containing six bundles of methamphetamine. The source quickly realized the bundles contained drugs and contacted federal agents who advised him to contact a co-defendant Jesus Ortiz-Flores. At that time, Ortiz-Flores advised him that drugs were supposed to go to Aparicio-Santos who was then supposed to divide it up and provide to others. Ortiz-Flores told the source he could just sell the some of the drugs himself. The source later told Ortiz-Flores he “sold” two kilograms of methamphetamine. Upon the direction of Ortiz-Flores, the source then delivered the remaining four kilograms to Aparicio-Santos for him to sell. The drugs were hidden inside a spare tire and delivered as instructed.

Officers then conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle Aparicio-Santos was driving and seized the methamphetamine. All six of the bundles of methamphetamine were subsequently sent for further analysis, which demonstrated the drugs had a net weight of 5.924 kilograms and were 100% pure.

The drugs had been imported from Mexico. The evidence in the case also revealed Aparicio-Santos was involved in other methamphetamine trafficking transactions totaling more than 11 kilograms for which he was also held accountable at the hearing today. He will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. Ortiz-Flores was also convicted and later sentenced to 25 years in federal prison.

The Drug Enforcement Administration, Houston Police Department and Harris County Sheriff’s Office conducted the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Arthur R. Jones and Ted Imperato are prosecuting the case.