Previously deported Mexican man sentenced in Dallas to 10 years in federal prison for methamphetamine distribution conspiracy

DALLAS — A previously deported illegal alien from Mexico was sentenced Wednesday to 10 years in federal prison for his role in a methamphetamine distribution conspiracy.

This sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Erin Nealy Cox of the Northern District of Texas. This investigation was conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations, and Task Force Officers from the Texas police departments of Rowlett and Fate.

Diego Morales-Ramirez, 25, a citizen of Mexico was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Ed Kinkeade to 120 months in federal prison following his guilty plea in August 2017 to one count of possession with intent to distribute a schedule II controlled substance (50 grams or more of methamphetamine). Morales-Ramirez will be deported after he completes his prison term. He has been in custody since his arrest in March 2017.

According to documents filed in the case, on Feb. 3, 2017, Morales-Ramirez was stopped by a police officer for failing to signal while changing lanes. During the stop Morales-Ramirez was extremely nervous and a K-9 alerted to the presence of a controlled substance inside the vehicle. Also during the stop it was learned that Morales-Ramirez was a previously deported illegal alien. Morales-Ramirez was advised he was going to be detained for being illegally present in the United States, and officers offered to return his vehicle and some of his personal items to the apartment he just came from.

Upon arrival, Morales-Ramirez gave officers consent to search his apartment. Before officers entered the apartment, Morales-Ramirez said there was a gray bin on the right side with “stuff” in it. Upon opening the gray bin, officers found several bags containing a crystal-like substance that field tested positive for 10.97 kilograms (24.2 pounds) of methamphetamine.

Assistant U.S. Attorney George Leal, Northern District of Texas, prosecuted this case.