Melissa Rendon, a 32-year-old resident, has been sentenced to 120 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for her involvement in narcotics trafficking, according to U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Rendon pleaded guilty on August 4, 2023, and U.S. District Judge Drew B. Tipton handed down the sentence after considering evidence presented at the hearing. The court took into account Rendon's aggravated role in the offense, attempts to obstruct the investigation, and her use of her minor daughter to hide evidence from authorities.
The investigation, led by the Drug Enforcement Administration with assistance from the Nueces County District Attorney’s Office Criminal Investigation Unit, revealed that Rendon operated from a residence in Corpus Christi. On July 7, 2022, law enforcement executed a search warrant, uncovering meth, cocaine, heroin, crack cocaine, and fentanyl packaged for sale. Although Rendon was not present during the search, authorities found several individuals at the location.
Further surveillance on March 2, 2023, observed Rendon leaving the residence with four children, whom she dropped off at school. A subsequent search recovered additional narcotics, drug paraphernalia, and personal items belonging to Rendon. The investigation also exposed Rendon's attempt to manipulate evidence, as she made calls from jail instructing her juvenile daughter to alter a white cell phone's settings.
Rendon will be held in custody until her transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility is determined.
