Near 20-Year Sentence for Drug Trafficking Ringleader in Austin Area
AUSTIN, Texas – U.S. District Judge Lee Yeakel today sentenced 34-year-old Austin resident Juan
Angel Aguirre aka “Larry Aguirre” to 235 months in federal prison followed by three years of
supervised release for supplying traffickers with multiple kilograms of narcotics that were
distributed throughout the Austin area.
Aguirre is one of 19 defendants convicted on federal drug trafficking charges based on this indictment. The defendants conspired to distribute more than five kilograms of
cocaine, more than one kilogram of heroin, methamphetamine and other narcotics in Austin from
December 2016 to September 2019. During this investigation, authorities seized approximately
20 kilograms of methamphetamine, seven kilograms of cocaine, five kilograms of heroin and
more than $594,000 in cash and assets attributed to this drug trafficking organization.
One defendant, Luis Alberto Mota, Jr, is awaiting sentencing next month. The other 18,
including Aguirre, received prison sentences ranging from nine months to 235 months.
“The prosecutions of Juan Angel Aguirre and his co-defendants have resulted in the dismantling
of a major drug trafficking organization and the removal of a significant criminal element from
the streets of Austin,” said U.S. Attorney Ashley C. Hoff. “This case is an excellent example of
the effectiveness of our Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program in
combatting the scourge of drug trafficking and the related crimes drug trafficking generates in
our community.”
Special Agent in Charge Daniel C. Comeaux of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA)
Houston Division, Interim Austin Police Chief Joseph Chacon, Cedar Park Police Chief Mike
Harmon, Texas Department of Public Safety Director Steven McCraw, Hays County Sheriff
Gary Cutler and Special Agent in Charge Richard D. Goss of the IRS-Criminal Investigation’s
(IRS-CI) Houston Field Office joined U.S. Attorney Hoff in making today’s announcement.
This case resulted from an investigation conducted by the DEA, Austin Police Department,
Cedar Park Police Department, Texas Department of Public Safety, Hays County Sheriff’s
Office and IRS-CI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas Gardner is prosecuting this case.
This prosecution resulted from an OCDETF investigation called Operation “No Big Deal.”
OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers,
gangs and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the U.S. by using a prosecutor-led,
intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state and local
law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.