Artemio Pena-Torrecillas, 26, of Culiacan, Sinaloa, Mexico, was sentenced to 40 years in prison this week. Pena-Torrecillas was found guilty of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, conspiracy to commit money laundering, two counts of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, and two counts of possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense.
Between January 2011 and April 2011, Pena-Torrecillas, along with Cruz Ortega-Ruano, led a Phoenix-based drug trafficking organization (DTO) responsible for the distribution of pound-quantities of exceptionally pure methamphetamine as well as the collection of narcotics proceeds. Law enforcement used sophisticated investigative techniques to dismantle the DTO resulting in a five-defendant indictment against members of the DTO.
Pena-Torrecillas was responsible for obtaining several pounds of methamphetamine from a source of supply, hiring drug couriers to drive vehicles equipped with sophisticated hidden compartments to transport the drugs, and distributing the drugs to customers. Other co-defendants, including Gerardo Diarte-Lara, Francisco Torrecillas-Torres, and Juan Martin Tapia-Bernal, assisted the DTO by acting as stash house operators and couriers. Through the investigation into this DTO, law enforcement seized approximately 12 pounds of methamphetamine, over $200,000 in narcotics proceeds, 60 firearms, including assault rifles and handguns, high capacity firearm magazines, ammunition, and vehicles from the DTO at three separate stash houses operated by the organization.
In addition to Pena-Torrecillas, four co-defendants entered guilty pleas and were sentenced by U.S. District Judge Frederick J. Martone:
1.Cruz Ortega-Ruano, 32, of Mexico, was sentenced to 20 years in prison. He was responsible for coordinating the delivery of narcotics and collection of narcotics proceeds for the DTO.
2.Gerardo Diarte-Lara, 28, of Mexico, was sentenced to 17.5 years in prison. He served as a trusted narcotics and narcotics proceeds courier for the organization.
3.Francisco Torrecillas-Torres, 39, of Mexico, was sentenced to 10 years in prison for his role as a narcotics courier.
4.Juan Martin Tapia-Bernal, 46, of Mexico, was sentenced to 23 years in prison. He was a stash house operator and courier for the DTO.