Date: August 28, 2020 Contact: newsroom@ci.irs.gov OKLAHOMA CITY – Cesar Alzuarte-Rodriguez, an illegal alien from Mexico, has been sentenced to serve a federal prison term of 420 months for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and spearheading an international and multi-state drug trafficking organization. Alzuarte is the latest of 23 defendants sentenced in federal court so far, with a collective total sentence of 168 years in prison. According to an Indictment filed on March 17, 2018, and the Superseding Indictment on June 5, 2018, Alzuarte-Rodriguez (Alzuarte) and other defendants were charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, distribution of methamphetamine, maintaining drug involved premises, and felons and illegal aliens in possession of a firearms and money laundering. The Indictment alleged that Alzuarte was the head of an organization that illegally imported methamphetamine from Mexico through sources of supply in Arizona, Colorado, and California. The organization maintained houses in Oklahoma City where methamphetamine was brought and stored for re-distribution. When Alzuarte and other co-defendants were arrested on March 8, 2018, agents to that date had seized 248 pounds of methamphetamine with an estimated street value of $1,000,000, more than $275,000 in cash, and 10 firearms. On March 4, 2019, Alzuarte pleaded guilty to the drug conspiracy. Alzuarte further agreed to forfeit the aforementioned firearms and cash, a house located on 639 SE 10th Street used in the drug trafficking enterprise, and multiple vehicles used by his drug trafficking organization. On August 26, 2020, U.S. District Court Judge Scott L. Palk sentenced Alzuarte to serve 35 years in prison, to be followed by four years of supervised release following his release from prison. In announcing Alzuarte's sentence, Judge Palk emphasized Mr. Alzuarte's illegal alien status, his leadership of a multi-state and international methamphetamine trafficking organization, and the large amount of "poison" Alzuarte pumped into impacted communities. Twenty-two of Alzuarte's co-defendants in the drug trafficking enterprise have already been sentenced: Name Sentence Sentencing date Miguel Berzosa-Flores 168 months in prison February 4, 2020 Federico Rios-Aranda 144 months in prison October 17, 2019 Monica Bojorquez 84 months in prison February 20, 2020 Armando Herrera-Garcia 18 months in prison September 25, 2019 Mayra Medina 24 months in prison August 6, 2019 Elias Sotelo-Tena 3 years of probation August 20, 2019 Albino Gonzalez-Gandarilla 156 months in prison June 10, 2020 Enoc Ricado-Santiago 96 months in prison October 16, 2019 Guillermo Cardona-Figueroa 37 months in prison August 1, 2019 Christian McKinney 48 months in prison September 5, 2019 Carlos Estrada-Mojarro 24 months in prison September 9, 2019 Luis Vega Maldonado 144 months in prison January 10, 2020 Jesus Manuel-Lopez 204 months in prison August 12, 2019 Erik Osualdo Montelongo 30 months in prison December 10, 2019 Zephyran Shawn Hayes 180 months in prison August 6, 2019 Jeremy Wright 120 months in prison June 20, 2019 Brandon Ramirez-Garcia 108 months in prison June 12, 2020 Jazmine Altamarino 18 months in prison November 19, 2019 Mayra Cabello-Tierablanca 18 months in prison August 7, 2019 Kyle Shropshire 12 months and 1 day in prison September 12, 2019 Jessica Lissette Mar 24 months in prison August 15, 2019 Angel Ricardo Gonzalez-Martinez 48 months in prison August 12, 2019 This case is the result of an investigation by the IRS Criminal Investigations Division, Drug Enforcement Administration's Oklahoma City, Denver, San Diego, and Phoenix, Tulsa, and McAlester Offices, City of Edmond Police Department, City of Norman Police Department, Canadian County Sheriff's Department, Homeland Security Investigations Oklahoma City Office, District 21 Task Force, and Oklahoma Highway Patrol. Assistant United States Attorney David Petermann prosecuted the case.
