Las Cruces woman sentenced in drug trafficking case

A jury convicted Yolanda Rodriguez, a 50-year-old U.S. Citizen formerly residing in Mexico, on multiple drug trafficking and money laundering charges.

Rodriguez was sentenced to more than a year in prison followed by three years of supervised release.

Rodriguez was convicted in a 45-count indictment filed in October 2015. Federal officials said she is the 13th member to be arrested in a 20-member drug trafficking organization that imported large amounts of cocaine, marijuana, and heroin from Mexico into the United States.

A Las Cruces jury also returned a guilty verdict for Rodriguez’s co-defendant: Amando Acevedo Gonzales.

According to the indictment, the drug trafficking organization operated in Dona Ana, Luna and Bernalillo Counties in between Oct. 2014 and October 2015. The indictment was the result of an investigation which included several departments, including the FBI and DEA.

During the trial, the jury learned federal agents used wire-taps to gather evidence showing the drug trafficking organization shipped cocaine and marijuana in tractor-trailers from Mexico to an auto body shop in Albuquerque.

The law enforcement agencies seized 6.2 kilograms of cocaine, 2.9 kilograms of methanphetamine, 1039.9 kilograms of marijuana and 351 grams of heroin. Agents were also able to seize more than $250,000 in drug proceeds from couriers and tractor-trailers containing marijuana.

Of the 20 defendants charged in the indictment, 13 have been arrested, 11 have entered guilty pleas, two were convicted at trial and the remaining seven are fugitives.

Law enforcement are still searching for Edgar Estopellan-Torres, Ignacio Villalobos-Salinas, 30; Angel Daniel Silva-Silva, 31; Rigoberto Estopellan-Torres, 35; Jesus Munoz-