El Paso Standard

An illegal Mexican national and leader of the Cartel Del Noreste, Noe Gonzalez-Martinez, also known as Tocayo, has been sentenced to life plus 60 months in federal prison. U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos handed down the sentence on March 26. Gonzalez-Martinez was involved in a murder-for-hire conspiracy that involved bringing three hitmen across the border into Laredo.

U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei commented on the case stating, “Drug trafficking and violence go hand-in-hand, and this is particularly true in the case of cartels, as this case shows.” Ganjei emphasized, “The Department of Justice is committed to preventing the cartels from ever gaining a foothold in America, and the vigorous prosecution of their leadership is a critical component of that. Through the conviction of Mr. Gonzalez-Martinez, the Southern District of Texas has dealt a major blow to the CDN cartel. This is, however, just the beginning. SDTX is pursuing every opportunity and every avenue to dismantle cartel operations on both sides of the border. Stay tuned.”

The investigation was led by the Drug Enforcement Administration, with support from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Laredo Police Department. DEA Special Agent in Charge Daniel C. Comeaux remarked, “With drug trafficking comes violence that typically spills over from Mexico and into the United States, particularly the southwest border.” Highlighting the DEA's efforts, Comeaux declared, “This case is a testament that the DEA is definite in its fight against these foreign terrorist drug trafficking organizations who illegally crossed into the United States for the sole purpose of kidnapping and murdering an American Citizen.”

From the San Antonio office of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Special Agent in Charge Craig Larrabee stated, “This brazen scheme planned out by CDN is a direct threat to the safety and stability of South Texas. The campaign of terror, drug-trafficking, and violence this man employed has no place on American soil.”

This case was resolved with a jury conviction on December 13, 2023, after deliberating for about an hour. Gonzalez-Martinez was found guilty of several charges, including conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, murder-for-hire conspiracy, and possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking. Gonzalez-Martinez and other Cartel Del Noreste members traveled from a border town in Mexico to Laredo in September 2021, plotting to kidnap and murder an individual they accused of theft. However, the plans were intercepted by law enforcement, and the perpetrators were taken into custody.

Additional information revealed the group had firearms ready for the execution of their plans, including a .45 caliber pistol, a .357 magnum revolver, and AR-15 rifles. Other members involved in the conspiracy received prison sentences ranging between 240 and 352 months.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jose Angel Moreno and Steven Chamberlin prosecuted the case from the Southern District of Texas.

Gonzalez-Martinez awaits transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility.