by | Published
A Mexican national was sentenced Thursday in federal court in San Antonio to 37 months in prison for his involvement in cocaine trafficking and human smuggling conspiracies. He was also ordered to forfeit more than $600,000 in criminal proceeds.
According to court documents, 44-year-old Jorge Armando Morado assisted his son, 25-year-old Jorge Armando Morado Moreno, in completing a cocaine sale to an undercover Bexar County Sheriff’s Office deputy on July 16, 2023. Morado later arranged for his son to sell an additional kilogram of cocaine on July 25, 2023. Law enforcement intercepted both men en route to the sale, finding approximately one kilogram of cocaine in Moreno’s vehicle.
Subsequent searches of Morado’s residence uncovered approximately $601,302 in cash stored in a cooler in his bedroom closet, an additional $3,000 in cash, a firearm, and a suspected drug ledger. Five illegal aliens were also found living in one room of the residence, with a urine-filled bucket located in a nearby bedroom. Investigators discovered numerous messages on Moreno’s cell phone discussing cocaine trafficking and harboring illegal aliens.
Morado pleaded guilty on June 26, 2024, to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine and conspiracy to transport and harbor illegal aliens. His 37-month federal sentence will run concurrently with four months already served in state custody.
Moreno pleaded guilty to the same charges on July 11, 2024, and was sentenced to 21 months in federal prison on January 29.
The investigation was conducted by the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office, Homeland Security Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the San Antonio Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Fedock prosecuted the case.
