ATLANTA -- A 41-year-old man has been sentenced for his role in a drug trafficking organization that distributed about 220 pounds of meth per week in Atlanta.
A judge sentenced Victor Aguirre-Rodriguez to 20 years in prison, to be followed by 10 years of supervised release. Aguirre-Rodriguez was convicted by a jury of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
According to U.S. Attorney Byung Pak, Aguirre-Rodriguez was a member of a Mexico-based drug-trafficking organization that was trying to establish a large-volume cocaine distribution chain to the U.S.
"Aguirre-Rodriguez was a member of an illegal organization that flooded the Atlanta area with $1.75 million of methamphetamine per week while hiding on the other end of a cell phone in Mexico,” Pak said. “These high-level traffickers are not protected by technology or their distance from Atlanta when they send poison into our community.”
Officials said Aguirre-Rodriguez began negotiating with Colombian cocaine suppliers. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) infiltrated the suppliers without them knowing and agreed to purchase meth.
The Georgia State Patrol along with the DEA intercepted and seized 10 kilograms - or 220.5 pounds - of meth.
DEA agents arrested the driver, Joaquin Tirado. Agents also executed a federal search warrant for the drug trafficking organization's suspected drug stash house in Norcross, Georgia, where an additional seven kilograms of meth were seized.
Nolver Noel Molina-Gonzalez, who was guarding the house, also was arrested and agents arrested Jose Luis Guillen-Torres as well while on his way to collect the $175,000 payment.
At the time of these arrests, Aguirre-Rodriguez could not be located. Three years passed before Aguirre-Rodriguez was arrested on cocaine charges in Chicago, Illinois.
Guillen-Torre was previously sentenced to 24 years and 4 months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised released. Tirado received a 15-year sentence. He also received 10 years of supervised released.
Molina-Gonzalez was previously sentenced to 8 years and 1 month in prison. That will be followed by 5 years of supervised released.
