Three illegal immigrants get 180 days for their roles in meth ring
Three illegal aliens caught in an international drug dealing sting will be deported back to Mexico after serving 180 days in jail for their part in a deal to sell three pounds of pure meth to undercover officers.
The defendants, Jesus Carreon, Jorge Rodriguez and Maria del Romero, were each ordered to serve 180 days of two-year sentences after entering guilty pleas to conspiracy to sell meth.
The remainder of the seven-person drug conspiracy, including Juan Antonio Palacious, Julian Carreon, Oscar Carreon and Emilio Estrada, are awaiting trial in federal court but also have charges remaining here in addition to their federal counts.
Julian Carreon also faces additional charges of attempted second-degree murder for trying to run over officers when they were trying to arrest him and his co-conspirators outside a store in Centertown last year.
During a preliminary hearing against the group earlier this year, it was learned undercover officers made several drug buys from various members of the drug cartel, purchasing several ounces at a time until a deal was hatched to buy three pounds for $72,000. The drug in question was ice, which is a pure form of meth. Lawmen believe a house near Centertown was being used as headquarters for the local drug distributors.
It was on the day of the massive drug deal that officers moved in to arrest all seven suspects who had come to the diner parking lot, taking five into custody peacefully. However, Julian Carreon reportedly tried to make a fast getaway, nearly hitting three officers with his vehicle as lawmen opened fire slightly wounding his passenger. The men were caught moments later after they bailed out of their disabled vehicle in a nearby subdivision.
The three defendants sentenced last week in local court were among those outside Kat’s Diner at the time of the arrests. Prosecutors noted the drug dealers had used the three suspects’ vehicles during earlier drug deals thereby linking the three to the overall drug trafficking ring.
The four facing federal charges have been directly linked to selling or delivering the various amounts of drugs to undercover lawmen. All seven suspects are illegal immigrants.