WACO, Texas — A Puerto Rican man has been sentenced to more than 15 years in federal prison for leading a fentanyl trafficking conspiracy tied to the death of a U.S. Army spouse in Central Texas, federal officials announced.
According to the United States Attorney's Office for the Western District of Texas, Gilberto Joel Hernandez-Marin, 31, of Trujillo Alto, was sentenced Wednesday to 188 months in prison.
Federal prosecutors said Hernandez-Marin led a Puerto Rico-based drug trafficking organization alongside co-conspirator Adxel Romero-Flores, 34, of Bayamon.
Authorities said the organization was responsible for distributing thousands of fentanyl pills throughout the Western District of Texas, including fentanyl connected to the death of the spouse of an active-duty U.S. Army soldier.
Army CID Intercepted Thousands of Fentanyl Pills
During the investigation, agents with the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division intercepted approximately 8,100 fentanyl pills that investigators said were destined for Central Texas.
Justin R. Simmons said the organization knowingly trafficked deadly narcotics into Texas communities.
“Hernandez-Marin and his co-conspirators in this Puerto Rican DTO knowingly and recklessly trafficked thousands upon thousands of deadly fentanyl pills into our communities, ultimately killing a U.S. military spouse,” Simmons said.
Multiple Co-Defendants Sentenced
Several co-defendants also pleaded guilty and received federal prison sentences, including:
- Julio Samuel Bonilla-Tirado, 44, of Copperas Cove — sentenced to 14 years in prison
- Romero-Flores — sentenced to 15 years and eight months
- Juan Carlos Cabral, 34, of Bayamon, Puerto Rico — sentenced to 20 years in prison
U.S. District Judge Alan Albright presided over the sentencings.
Lane Allen credited the case to cooperation among local, state, and federal agencies.
“This case underscores our commitment to combatting threats of illegal drugs affecting the Army community, regardless of their origins,” Allen said.
The investigation involved:
- Drug Enforcement Administration
- United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations
- United States Postal Inspection Service
- United States Marshals Service
- Texas Department of Public Safety
- Killeen Police Department
- Copperas Cove Police Department
- Puerto Rico Police Department
Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Blanton prosecuted the case.
