The Department of Justice announced on December 10 that Marco Antonio Gonzalez, forty-two years old, is connected to the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) and was found guilty of methamphetamine (meth) trafficking.
According to U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meachem, Gonzalez was dealing the methamphetamines out of his car dealership in Dallas.
After a four-day trial, a federal jury convicted Gonzalez and he now faces life in prison.
The cartel associate was found guilty of “one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance, two counts of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance and one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon,” according to the DOJ.
Gonzalez, who refers to himself as “Speedy,” owns Hampton Motors, located in west Oak Cliff at 1225 South Hampton Road. The U.S. Attorney’s Office stated that the methamphetamine was stored at the dealership and profits from drug sales were used to purchase vehicles to cover up the operation.
During the investigation, police determined that defendants used houses in DeSoto and Dallas as methamphetamine labs and “often carried firearms on those premises,” according to the Department of Justice’s news release.
Within the trial, prosecutors mentioned that Gonzalez “threatened to kill” one co-conspirator who was set to testify against him. The co-conspirator ended up going through with testimony and “confirmed that Gonzalez used his dealership as a cover-up for his meth operation.”
Before the trial began, ten more co-conspirators came forward to plead guilty.
The Dallas Field Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) conducted the investigation with the aid of police from Dallas, Garland, and the Sheriff’s Office of Ellis County.
Special Agent of the DEA Eduardo A. Chavez stated, “Today’s conviction is an affirmation of DEA resolve to keep methamphetamines out of our communities,” adding, “Methamphetamine continues to be a significant threat in North Texas. DEA and all our law enforcement partners will continue to hold those like Mr. Gonzalez accountable for their actions.”