Two people involved in smuggling drugs in Texas, sentenced to federal prison for conspiring to distribute meth in Mississippi
Published 6:00 am Thursday, September 1, 2022
Two people involved in smuggling drugs in Texas sentenced to federal prison for conspiring to possess with intent to distribute in Mississippi.
Melissa Muniz-Garcia, 45, of Falfurrias, Texas, was sentenced to 300 months in federal prison for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
Mark Anthony Arellano, 40, of Falfurrias, Texas, was sentenced to 70 months in federal prison for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
According to court documents, in July of 2021, Muniz-Garcia conspired with Arellano to distribute 5 kilograms of methamphetamine to a confidential source in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. The investigation revealed that Muniz-Garcia and Arellano had also been involved in smuggling drugs in the Corpus Christi, Texas area.
Muniz-Garcia was indicted by a federal grand jury and pled guilty on May 25, 2022.
In addition to the prison sentence, Muniz-Garcia was ordered to pay a $10,000 fine.
Arellano was indicted by a federal grand jury and pleaded guilty on May 18, 2022.
In addition to the prison sentence, Arellano was ordered to pay a $3,000 fine.
The cases were the result of an extensive investigation, dubbed “Don’t Tell On Me Bro,” which began as an operation targeting illegal drug trafficking in the Hattiesburg, Mississippi area. “Don’t Tell On Me Bro” is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Lamar County Sheriff’s Office, the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics, Hattiesburg Police Department, Forrest County Sheriff’s, and Columbia Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Keesha Middleton.
