A Mexican citizen living illegally in Houston will spend 17½ years in federal prison after being convicted in a methamphetamine case, the U.S. Department of Justice said.
A federal jury deliberated for less than five hours before convicting Alberto Ramos-Nogueda, 36, on Feb. 7, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas Alamdar S. Hamdani said in a news release Friday.
He was sentenced for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and possession with intent to distribute meth, Hamdani said.
U.S. District Judge Sim Lake ordered Ramos-Nogueda to serve 210 months in federal prison. Since he is not a U.S. citizen, he is expected to face removal proceedings after he is released from prison.
“Seventeen kilos of crystal meth is a lot of deadly meth for any size city, no matter how large,” Hamdani said. “Had Ramos-Nogueda been successful in bringing the drugs into Conroe, many there and in other nearby communities north of Houston, such as The Woodlands and Kingwood, could have fallen victim to meth’s deadly effects. Thanks to law enforcement’s surveillance and hard work, including chasing him down into the woods, Ramos-Nogueda’s efforts to destroy lives for his own personal profit came up short and left him in prison.”
In May 2022, law enforcement suspected that a large amount of methamphetamine was going to be transported through Houston into the Conroe area. Authorities conducted surveillance at a hotel in north Houston as part of the investigation.
They saw Ramos-Nogueda arrive at the hotel carrying a large cardboard box. He entered one of the rooms and left soon with Hector Hernandez-Velasquez, the news release said.
Ramos-Nogueda then put the box into his vehicle and began to drive north on Highway 45 toward Conroe, accompanied by Hernandez-Velasquez. When authorities tried to stop them, both fled on foot. Officers quickly took Hernandez-Velasquez into custody, but Ramos-Nogueda ran into a wooded area. Authorities apprehended him a few hours later.
Conroe is around 49 miles northwest of Houston.
Law enforcement seized the box and discovered over 17 kilograms, or around 37 pounds, of crystal meth.
The news release said that Hernandez-Velasquez, 49, who at the time was living illegally in Pharr, previously pleaded guilty and is set to be sentenced Oct. 24. He faces up to life in prison and a possible $10 million maximum fine.
Ramos-Nogueda will remain in custody until he is transferred to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility.
The Houston Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation, with help from the Conroe Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer Stabe and Jimmy Leo prosecuted the case.
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