Texas man sentenced to 12 years for trafficking cocaine in Virginia, intent to distribute to Mexico

A Brownsville, Texas man was sentenced yesterday to 150 months in prison for participating in a conspiracy to possess and distribute nearly 40 kilograms of cocaine.

The conviction and sentencing are part of the Attorney General Jason Miyares’ Operation Ceasefire initiative, a proven approach to address gun and gang violence through prosecution and prevention.

According to court documents, in and around April 2023, Carlos Alfonso Gonzalez, 31, agreed with a Mexico-based source of supply to transport a load of cocaine from Houston to Richmond. On or about April 29, 2023, Gonzalez picked up a load of cocaine in Houston and traveled in a commercial semi-tractor trailer truck to Virginia to distribute the cocaine to two traffickers connected to a Mexican drug trafficking organization. On May 1, 2023, Gonzalez arrived at a truck stop in Disputanta, Virginia, to meet with two co-conspirators. At the meeting location, Gonzalez distributed to his co-conspirators three duffel bags containing 39.9 kilograms of cocaine.

After the co-conspirators left, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop on their vehicle and recovered 39.9 kilograms of cocaine. Law enforcement then stopped Gonzalez and placed him under arrest. At the time of the offense, Gonzalez was on federal supervised release for a prior federal drug trafficking crime in the Southern District of Texas.

“Operation Ceasefire just delivered a resounding message to those drug traffickers looking to exploit innocent Virginians: justice will prevail,” Miyares said. “Together, we stand firm in our commitment to upholding the law and ensuring a safer Virginia. This successful prosecution not only safeguards our communities but also serves as a stark reminder that those engaging in illegal enterprises will face severe consequences.”

Gonzalez was sentenced to 120 months for charges of conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute cocaine and possession with the intent to distribute cocaine. He was sentenced to an additional term of 30 months in prison for violating his federal supervised release stemming from his prior conviction.