A Dallas auto mechanic was sentenced on April 14 to more than seven years in federal prison for his role in a methamphetamine and cocaine trafficking operation, according to U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.
Jose Cruz Badillo-Rivera, age 50, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to manufacture and distribute methamphetamine. U.S. District Judge Amos L. Mazzant III handed down an 87-month sentence.
Court records show that authorities identified Badillo-Rivera as a multi-kilogram methamphetamine distributor during an ongoing investigation that began in January 2020. Investigators determined he was negotiating drug transactions at his automotive mechanic shop in Dallas.
This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is described as a whole-of-government partnership aimed at eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings both inside the United States and abroad. According to the release, “Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders.” The statement also says that special emphasis is placed on crimes involving children.
The Drug Enforcement Administration led the investigation into this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew T. Johnson prosecuted.
