Date: 10-24-2024

Case Style:

United States of America v. Ana Maria Pena-Gutierrez

Case Number:

Judge: Diana Saldaña

Court: The United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas (Harris County)

Plaintiff's Attorney: The United States Attorney’s Office in Houston

Defendant's Attorney:

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Description:

Houston, Texas criminal defense lawyer represented the Defendant name charged with possession with intent to deliver meth
Organizer sent to prison for smuggling 60 kilos of meth into United States

A federal jury in Laredo deliberated for less than two hours before returning the guilty verdict Feb. 8, 2023, against Ana Maria Pena-Gutierrez, age 55, following a two-day trial.


“Pena-Gutierrez and others like her who poison our communities with drugs and jeopardize the lives of countless persons of all ages deserve to be found and prosecuted without hesitation,” Hamdani said. “That continues to be my commitment to our communities, our people and our youth.”

Between Dec. 13, 2020, and June 14, 2022, Pena-Gutierrez and others conspired to import almost 60 kilograms of meth. She organized transportation, provided vehicles to load drivers and paid the drivers for each successful criminal venture.

At the time of the trial, co-conspirator Mike Mendoza testified Pena-Gutierrez hired and paid him to drive two vehicles to smuggle drugs from Mexico into the United States several times from Jan. 10, 2021, through Feb. 25, 2021.

Law enforcement arrested Mendoza Feb. 25, 2021, as he drove a pickup truck into Laredo with 24 bundles of meth, weighing 56.232 net kilograms and hidden within the tires. According to testimony given at trial, the approximate street value of the drugs was $451,244.

Mendoza admitted he successfully made two prior trips from Mexico at Pena-Gutierrez’s direction; however, an investigation revealed Mendoza had four prior entries from Mexico in a sedan.

Mendoza testified Pena-Gutierrez paid him $5,000 for each of the two prior smugglings and promised to pay him $9,000 at the time of his arrest. Pena-Gutierrez also fronted Mendoza $500 for travel expenses.

Authorities arrested another co-conspirator, Erik Alonso Martinez, April 23, 2021, as he entered Laredo with 52.28 kilograms of meth in the sedan’s fuel tank with a net weight of 25.04 kilograms and an approximate street value of $200,938.

During an interview, Martinez told law enforcement he picked up the car in Houston from someone whom he declined to identify. An investigation later revealed Pena-Gutierrez provided Martinez with the sedan.

After her arrest Aug. 10, 2021, Pena-Gutierrez told authorities others paid her to recruit Mendoza and Martinez. She also told law enforcement she received about $4,000 for each successful drug importation and paid each driver between $7,000 and $8,000 per trip.

During the trial, authorities presented evidence including charts of 350 phone calls and text messages between Pena-Gutierrez and Mendoza regarding the price of meth and how it increases as one travels further north from the border.

At the trial, the jury also heard from an expert in financial records describing the irregularities of Pena-Gutierrez’s bank activities. Authorities also testified, detailing her confession and the entire conspiracy.

Mendoza and Martinez received 84 months and 174 days in federal prison, respectively, for their roles in the smuggling organization.

Pena-Gutierrez will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with assistance from Customs and Border Protection.

Assistant U.S. Attorney (AUSA) Jose Homero Ramirez prosecuted the case. Former AUSAs Matthew Isaac and José Angel Moreno tried the case to a jury.

Outcome:

Defendant was found guilty and sentenced to 210 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by five years of supervised release.

Plaintiff's Experts:

Defendant's Experts:

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