In a federal court in Del Rio, two individuals convicted of drug trafficking were sentenced to a combined 25 years in prison for their involvement in a year-long conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
Roberto Tovar, 47, was identified by a coconspirator as one of several individuals involved in the distribution of methamphetamine in the Del Rio area. Tovar participated in two transactions with undercover law enforcement agents between June 2019 and June 2020. Melissa Villarreal, 36, was also implicated by another codefendant and was involved in six undercover transactions during the same period.
During these transactions, Villarreal sold a total of 253.7 grams of a substance that tested positive for methamphetamine on five occasions. On the sixth transaction, she sold an additional 259.1 grams of methamphetamine.
Tovar pleaded guilty on June 24, 2021, and was sentenced to 168 months in prison. Villarreal pleaded guilty on March 28, 2022, and received a sentence of 135 months. Codefendants Rose Vasquez Baker, Ray Nathan Garcia, Bryan Alexander Gomez, and Ruben Reyes are currently in federal custody, awaiting their sentence hearings.
U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza for the Western District of Texas emphasized the destructive impact of narcotics trafficking on communities and the immeasurable human cost on families and individuals struggling with addiction to illegal drugs. The proactive investigation by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) played a crucial role in disrupting and dismantling the dangerous drug trafficking activities of this prolific organization operating in and around Del Rio.
HSI conducted the investigation into the case.
