Mexican judicial officer found guilty of supplying fentanyl, cocaine, heroin

BROWNSVILLE, Texas (ValleyCentral) — A man was found guilty Friday on several charges involving fentanyl, heroin and cocaine.

Gilberto Almaraz-Muniz was found guilty on charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance, and three counts of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, records show.

On March 10, 2022, law enforcement conducted a narcotics seizure in Kleberg County, where they arrested co-conspirator Pedro Venegas Jr. of Brownsville, a release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office stated. When officers noticed the engine had been tampered with, they began searching the vehicle, where they found 23 bundles of heroin, cocaine and fentanyl.

“The truck’s 6-cylinder engine had modifications to appear as an 8 cylinder to keep the drugs hidden within those areas,” the release stated.

Evidence showed that another co-conspirator, Jetzrael Saldana of Brownsville, had recruited Venegas to be a driver on behalf of Almaraz-Muniz, who was a law enforcement official in Mexico who had been operating as the drug supplier.

Witnesses testified that Almaraz-Muniz would ask Saldana to recruit drivers to take the drug loads past the checkpoint to Houston and other cities. The jury also heard of two other drug seizures, where Almarez-Muniz hired drivers to deliver drugs, including liquid meth, across the Gateway International Bridge in Brownsville.

An indictment charged Almaraz-Muniz with conspiring with others to possess and distribute 2.2 pounds of a mixture containing heroin, 400 grams of fentanyl and 11 pounds of cocaine.

Additionally, the indictment charged him with possessing 8.6 pounds of cocaine, 6.9 pounds of heroin and 8.4 pounds of fentanyl.

After four days of jury trial, the defense rested. The following day, jurors reached a verdict where they found Almaraz-Muniz guilty on all four counts.

On July 26, 2023, Saldana signed a plea agreement where he pleaded guilty to one of the counts of possession of a controlled substance. He is scheduled to be sentenced May 8.

Almaraz-Muniz’s sentencing is scheduled for July 17.

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