A federal court sentenced a Mexican national living illegally in the United States to prison for distributing methamphetamine sourced from the Sinaloa Cartel, the U.S. Department of Justice announced.
The Justice Department said the defendant, a Mexican citizen, had been residing in the country without legal status at the time of the offense. The methamphetamine involved in the case was supplied by the Sinaloa Cartel, one of the largest drug trafficking organizations operating across the U.S.-Mexico border region.
Investigators with the Homeland Security Task Force, known as the HSTF, led the inquiry that produced the charges, according to the Justice Department. The HSTF is a multi-agency law enforcement body that targets drug smuggling and related criminal networks.
The Justice Department described the prison term as lengthy, though it did not specify the exact number of years in its announcement. Federal prosecutors brought the case after the HSTF completed its investigation into the defendant's role in moving cartel-supplied narcotics.
The sentencing was announced by the Justice Department, which confirmed that the defendant had trafficked methamphetamine obtained through the Sinaloa Cartel's distribution network. The case reflects ongoing federal efforts to prosecute individuals connected to cartel supply chains operating within U.S. borders.