A Mexican national residing illegally in Houston has been sentenced to 12 years in federal prison for his role in a methamphetamine trafficking conspiracy. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Andres Reyes-Morales, 26, pleaded guilty on October 31, 2024. U.S. District Judge Alfred H. Bennett sentenced him to 144 months in federal prison. Following his imprisonment, Reyes-Morales is expected to face removal proceedings since he is not a U.S. citizen.
The case began in November 2022 when authorities identified Reyes-Morales as a member of a transnational criminal organization that smuggled and distributed methamphetamine from Mexico into South Texas and Houston. He operated as a conversion lab operator, courier, and facilitator within the organization.
As part of an undercover operation, authorities purchased about five kilograms of methamphetamine from Reyes-Morales. He coordinated with Moices Moreno-Marin and Franciso Reyes Solorzano-Duarte to complete these deliveries.
On April 14, 2023, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Reyes-Morales’ residence and found about one kilogram of methamphetamine hidden in a shoe box inside a bedroom closet. Reyes-Morales admitted that the narcotics belonged to him.
Moreno-Marin, age 38, and Solorzano-Duarte, age 27—both Mexican nationals—also pleaded guilty for their involvement in the scheme. They were sentenced to 36 and 54 months in prison respectively.
Reyes-Morales will remain in custody until he is transferred to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility.
The Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation while Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Day prosecuted the case.
The U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas has had several notable leaders such as Alamdar Hamdani and Ryan Patrick, as listed on its official history page (https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdtx/former-leaders). The office operates under the U.S. Department of Justice and serves under the Attorney General (https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdtx/about-us). With more than 200 attorneys, it covers 43 counties with over nine million residents (https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdtx/about-us) and focuses on prosecuting federal crimes along with handling civil cases for the government (https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdtx/about-us). Offices are located throughout Houston, Galveston, Corpus Christi, Laredo, McAllen, and Brownsville (https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdtx/about-us).
