PLANO, Texas – A Laredo man pleaded guilty to federal drug trafficking violations in the Eastern District of Texas on the day his jury trial was set to begin, announced U.S. Attorney Damien M. Diggs.
Jorge Elias Golarte, 54, of Laredo, Texas and Monterrey, Mexico, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute and distribution of methamphetamine, cocaine, heroin, and marijuana before U.S. District Judge Sean Jordan today.
According to information presented in court, Golarte, who is in the shipping business in Laredo, Texas and Monterrey, Mexico, admitted to his role in the conspiracy, distributing marijuana and cocaine from various sources which would then be provided to co-conspirators and distributed during the conspiracy in the Eastern District of Texas and elsewhere. Golarte will also forfeit ownership of one of his Margo Logistics tractor-trailers.
Golarte faces a minimum of 10 years in federal prison at sentencing. The maximum statutory sentence prescribed by Congress is provided here for information purposes, as the sentencing will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the U.S. Probation Office.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
This case is investigation involves the Drug Enforcement Administration, Laredo and Dallas, the U.S. Border Patrol, the Dallas Police Department, and the Lewisville Police Department and is prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Heather Rattan and Kevin McClendon.
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