In San Antonio today, 44-year-old Sergio Heredia (aka “Keko,” “Sobrino”) of Piedras Negras, Mexico, was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for trafficking hundreds of kilograms of cocaine announced United States Attorney Richard L. Durbin, Jr., Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Special Agent in Charge Joseph Arabit, Houston Division and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Special Agent in Charge Shane Folden, San Antonio Division.
In August 2015, Heredia pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine. By pleading guilty, Heredia admitted that from January 2007 to May 2015, he conspired with others to distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine in the United States.
According to evidence in this case, Heredia and others trafficked cocaine and marijuana for distribution in San Antonio, Fort Worth and elsewhere. It was done, in part, through a San Antonio-based network of drug distributors and money launderers led by 34–year-old San Antonio resident Walter Jacobo. This investigation revealed that the source of drug supply to Jacobo’s organization, as well as several other organizations involved in this scheme, was the Los Zetas Cartel. Together, they were responsible for the trafficking of more than 180,000 pounds of marijuana, hundreds of kilograms of cocaine, in excess of $18 million in U.S. currency, dozens of firearms and thousands of rounds of ammunition.
This investigation has resulted in the conviction of 18 individuals on federal charges. Twelve (12) have been sentenced; six (6) remain in custody pending sentencing. Sentences range from 20 years in federal prison to probation. On January 19, 2017, Jacobo was sentenced to ten years in federal prison followed by five years of supervised release for his role in the scheme.
This case resulted from an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation conducted by a High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) San Antonio group comprised of investigators from DEA, HSI, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, San Antonio Police Department, Hollywood Park Police Department and the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office.
The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking and money laundering operations, and those primarily responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply.