Texas Border Business
Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Texas
McALLEN, Texas – A 43-year-old McAllen man has been sentenced for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute meth, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Raul Mendiola-Flores pleaded guilty Feb. 22.
U.S. District Judge Drew B. Tipton has now ordered Mendiola-Flores to serve 144 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by five years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard about his nine prior criminal convictions to include a felony possession with intent to deliver cocaine in which he previously served five years in prison.
Law enforcement determined Mendiola-Flores was in direct communication with Mexican drug traffickers to coordinate the importation of meth.
In May 2023, Jorge Lopez imported one kilogram of meth from Mexico into the United States through the Hidalgo Port of Entry. The Mexican drug trafficking organization communicated with Mendiola-Flores to facilitate pick-up and delivery further north. Mendiola-Flores then arranged a meeting at a local convenience store parking lot in McAllen to receive the drugs.
Lopez, 19, a U.S. citizen residing in Reynosa, Mexico, previously pleaded guilty and remains in custody pending his sentencing. At that time, he faces up to life in federal prison and a possible $10 million maximum fine.
Mendiola-Flores will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Laura Garcia prosecuted the case.
Updated May 15, 2024
