CEDAR RAPIDS – Over the last week, five people have been sentenced to federal prison for their roles in trafficking methamphetamine throughout central and northern Iowa.
Octavio Cortez Fierros, age 27, from Michoacán, Mexico, received a 420-month prison term after a September 4, 2018 guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
Mario Nava Zavala, age 26, from Michoacán, Mexico, received a 120-month prison term after an August 17, 2018 guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
Ulises Legorreta Chavez, age 30, from Michoacán, Mexico, received a 108-month prison term after an August 27, 2018 guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
Xiomara Gonzalez-Zambrano, age 38, from Atwater, California, received a 63-month prison term after an August 21, 2018 guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
Adilene Vanessa Garcia, age 21, from State Center, Iowa, received a 52-month prison term after an August 27, 2018 guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
Evidence at sentencing hearings showed that Fierros was the leader of a significant drug trafficking organization responsible for distributing ice methamphetamine to customers in Waterloo, Marshalltown, and Des Moines. Fierros organized a network of individuals including Zavala, Chavez, and Garcia to assist him with the distribution of methamphetamine. These individuals were responsible for delivering methamphetamine to Fierros’ customers, collecting money the customers owed for drug debts, translating for the Spanish speaking Fierros, and counting money.
Gonzalez-Zambrano transported multiple pounds of methamphetamine from Kansas City to Des Moines for delivery to Fierros. Fierros distributed methamphetamine to his customers in pound to multiple-pound quantities. Over the course of a few months, Fierros distributed over 12 kilograms of methamphetamine, or approximately 28 pounds of methamphetamine. This methamphetamine had a street value of over $1,000,000.
All five individuals were sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge Linda R. Reade. They must also each serve a term of supervised release after the prison term. All are being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until they can be transported to a federal prison. There is no parole in the federal system.
“Methamphetamine is a highly dangerous drug that severely threatens the safety of our communities,” said United States Attorney Deegan. “We remain committed to working with our law enforcement partners to protect the public from dangerous drug dealers and hold accountable those who seek to profit from methamphetamine trafficking.”
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lisa C. Williams and was investigated as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program of the United States Department of Justice through a cooperative effort of Federal Bureau of Investigation, Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, Tri-County Drug Enforcement Task Force (Waterloo Police Department; Cedar Falls Police Department; Waverly Police Department; Bremer County Sheriff’s Office; Black Hawk County Sheriff’s Office; LaPorte City Police Department; Evansdale Police Department; Hudson Police Department), Mid Iowa Drug Task Force (Marshalltown Police Department; Marshall County Sheriff’s Office; Tama County), and Dubuque Drug Task Force (Dubuque Police Department; Dubuque County Sheriff’s Office).
