Leonard Garcia is looking at anywhere from a 40-year to life sentence.

Rising featherweight star Leonard Garcia was arrested yesterday along with 12 other people in connection with a drug smuggling ring in Texas.KCBD News in Lubbock, Texas, first reported the story. According to the report the arrests were made after a four-year investigation into a cocaine trafficking ring that ran from El Paso to Lubbock. The Federal indictment states that all who were arrested conspired to sell cocaine dating all the way back to 2001.According to The Fight Networks report:
The United States District Attorney’s Office said about two kilograms of cocaine were seized during the operation, along with drug trafficking paraphernalia, firearms and money, the report said. According to the report, three of those arrested could face up to 40 years in prison and up to a $2 million fine; the others could face a life sentence and up to a $4 million fine.
So the outlook definitely is no longer bright for Garcia as he is looking at anywhere from a 40-year to life sentence.
Garcia burst onto the scene in the US with an excellent fight against Roger Huerta at UFC 68. After losing two of three fights in the UFC, Garcia made the move to the WEC’s featherweight division and was expected to fight on the upcoming WEC 34 card this June.

Thirteen members of an alleged drug trafficking organization are off Lubbock streets after a four-year investigation. Authorities say the cocaine ring spans from El Paso to the Hub City. Ten people arrested during those raids Thursday and we're told they will all end up at the Lubbock County Jail. The roundup started early Thursday morning with a bust in the 1500 block of 23rd Street. The Drug Enforcement Administration led the operation. Lubbock Police, Lubbock Sheriff's Office and the Texas Department of Public Safety assisted along with several other area agencies. Federal indictments allege that all who were arrested have conspired to sell cocaine going back to as early as 2001. Authorities also executed seven search warrants in both Lubbock and Lynn Counties on Thursday. Our cameras also caught a bust at an apartment in the 7200 block of 73 Street. It's allegedly linked to the cocaine ring as well. The U.S. District Attorney's Office says that operation seized about two kilograms of cocaine along with drug trafficking paraphernalia, firearms and money. Three other suspects were taken into custody prior to Thursday morning. El Paso authorities tell us John Patrick Morales II was arrested Wednesday night.NewsChannel 11 has learned one of those arrested is mixed martial arts fighter Leonard Garcia. He was arrested Tuesday in allege connection with the cocaine ring. Garica is currently ranked sixth in the featherweight class in MMA. He has fought in UFC and Ultimate Fighting championships. One other suspect is already in custody in the Lamb County. If convicted, three of those arrested could face up to 40 years in prison and up to a $2 million fine. The others could face up to life in prison and up to a $ 4 million fine.Those accused were named in five federal indictments that were unsealed Thursday morning. All but one of those named in the indictments has been arrested.

Christopher Bywaters had built up a significant client base after initially buying half an ounce of cocaine from a supplier for £400 and selling it on

Christopher Bywaters after starting to smoke cannabis his attitude on life began to change.At Lewes Crown Court on Wednesday Bywaters, from Peacehaven, was jailed for two and half years.Police discovered cocaine under the gearstick cover and sun visor of his car in September last year The court was told how he had built up a significant client base after initially buying half an ounce of cocaine from a supplier for £400 and selling it on for £750.Mrs Bywaters revealed yesterday how Bywaters had become mixed up in a cycle of debt and drug use.
Before the drug dealing offence the 20-year-old had no previous convictions and was described by friends and family as a "lovely, shy, polite boy,"Mrs Bywaters said he was a "quiet boy" and sought to improve his confidence in drama classes.Following GCSE success at Tideway School in Newhaven, Bywaters began a carpentry course in Brighton when he was 17. He worked part-time for his uncle's landscape gardening business and formed ambitions to start his own business.Bywaters' attitude started to change at around this time. His mother said: "He had started smoking the year before, and after that he started smoking pot. He had mood swings, but that's just their hormones at that age, isn't it?"Mrs Bywaters thinks her son got in with the wrong crowd at college."He was homely and had never been drinking. He used to think it was stupid.
Moody "Christopher was easily influenced, and became popular for the wrong reasons."
In September 2006 Bywaters' uncle stopped employing him.Mrs Bywaters said: "He had become unreliable and moody."I don't blame my brother for sacking him. It's hard enough trying to make a living when you're running your own business, let alone when you have to drag a reluctant teenager around with you."
Bywaters was living at home at this time when his mother became concerned his involvement with drugs was deepening.
"He was going out at all times of the night. I didn't know where he was.
"I didn't have a clue he was taking drugs".
By February 2007 Bywaters had rekindled his ambition to start a landscape gardening business and was studying horticulture.
But the cost of studying and running a car with no income landed him in financial difficulty.
It was at this point recreational use turned to dealing.

Ayou Xie,Golden City takeaway Qi Wu,converting the property into a cannabis farm with hydroponic lights, water sprays and thermometers.

Qi Wu, 40, was recommended for deportation in 2006 after fraud convictions, Teesside Crown Court heard yesterday.But Wu was allowed to continue living in the UK, and last October rented a six-bedroom house on Marton Road, Middlesbrough.
Just 18 days later, police found he was converting the property into a cannabis farm with hydroponic lights, water sprays and thermometers.
In a second separate case, an even larger cannabis farm was uncovered in a flat above the Golden City takeaway on Norton Road, Stockton on November 14 last year.
Chef Ayou Xie, 26, lived there and minded 264 healthy ‘skunk’ cannabis plants in three rooms. A fridge also revealed 361 cannabis cuttings. Xie and two unidentified men bought equipment. Only Xie, who had no previous convictions and was refused asylum in 2000, was arrested.Recorder Toby Hedworth QC said Xie helped cultivation in an operation which could have generated huge profit, jailing him for two years for his limited role. Both Xie and Wu admitted producing the Class C drug. Judge George Moorhouse jailed Wu for 15 months, accepting he was under others’ control and showed remorse.

Schapell Corby now has only one option a plea for clemency to Indonesia's President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, which requires an admission of guilt.

Indonesia's Supreme Court has formally rejected a final appeal filed by Australian Schapelle Corby against her 20-year sentence for drug trafficking, an official said Friday.

'The Supreme Court turned down the final appeal filed by the convict (Corby),' said Nurhadi, spokesman for the Supreme Court, who like many Indonesians goes by only one name. The state-run Antara news agency quoted Nurhadi as saying that a team of three judges unanimously made the decision to turn down the appeal. He added that the judges may have wanted to send a strong message to other drug offenders in Indonesia. 'One of (the reasons) could be to create a deterrence effect for other perpetrators,' he said.
Corby, a former Gold Coast beauty student, lodged the appeal in August 2006.
Corby, a single, attractive 30-year-old, was sentenced by Bali's Denpasar District Court to 20 years and is now serving her jail sentence in Bali's Kerobokan prison.
She was caught at Bali's airport in October 2004 with 4.1 kilograms of marijuana in her boogie board bag. The arrest sparked a media frenzy that strained relations between Indonesia and Australia. Corby now has only one option - a plea for clemency to Indonesia's President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, which requires an admission of guilt. Yudhoyono has previously said he is opposed to granting pardons for drugs crimes

Pedro Hernandez could have faced up to 15 years in prison for each of the sales

Pedro Hernandez, 21, will be eligible for parole in as little as six months if he successfully completes the prison impact-incarceration program.Lake County Assistant State's Attorney Fred Day said Hernandez, of 299 W. Arden Lane, sold small amounts of heroin to an undercover officer of the Lake County Metropolitan Enforcement Group.
All three sales took place in a commercial parking lot on Route 120 in Grayslake, Day said.On Oct. 3, Hernandez gave the officer 3.5 grams of heroin in exchange for $140.On Oct. 9, another 2.5 grams was sold for $135, and on Oct. 12, Hernandez sold 4.2 grams for $150.Hernandez was arrested as the final sale was completed, Day said.
Circuit Judge James Booras agreed to recommend Hernandez for the military-style boot camp program, which could significantly reduce his time behind bars.
However, Booras told Hernandez that if he is not accepted into or fails to complete the impact-incarceration program, he will have to serve at least three years of the six-year term.If convicted after a trial, Hernandez could have faced up to 15 years in prison for each of the sales, Day said.

Gareth Angus Laurenson had concerns about his safety from the people he had been dealing with.

Gareth Angus Laurenson, at Craigpark Road, Scalloway, on 14 September last year where they found almost 50 grammes of the Class A drug, valued at £6,930, along with £6,260 in cash.When Laurenson and his girlfriend returned home the police found another £470 on his person.
Interviewed at Lerwick police station the 29 year old, who now lives at Meadowfield Road, Scalloway, said he was paid drugs and money to hold heroin for other people.Procurator fiscal Duncan Mackenzie said he admitted “carrying out this holding role for a similar quantity of drugs on a fortnightly basis” since 1 February last year.Mr Mackenzie said Laurenson had a history of heroin abuse, and his addiction had got worse before his arrest.
“Payment was sometimes in money and sometimes in kind to feed his addiction and there was a sense of relief that the police had brought this to an end,” the fiscal said, adding that Laurenson had concerns about his safety from the people he had been dealing with.
Sheriff Graeme Napier deferred sentence for reports, warning that it was likely he would be going to prison for a significant period of time.

David Kevin Wilson extradited to New South Wales

David Kevin Wilson, 43, was instrumental in the operation in which 70 bags of heroin were allegedly shipped into Australia in three wooden chests of drawers.Three New South Wales people, including Wilson's brother, are also charged with the heroin importation.An Adelaide magistrate has ruled that Wilson be escorted to Sydney by federal police officers

James Spencer is charged with possession for the purpose of trafficking

James Spencer of Cornwall, and a 16-year-old girl, whose identity is protected under the Youth Criminal Justice Act, are facing charges. Spencer is charged with possession for the purpose of trafficking, possession of a controlled substance, possession of property obtained by crime, and breach of undertaking The girl is charged with possession of a controlled substance and two counts of breach of probation More than $2,000 worth of cocaine and marijuana was seized by police this week at a Ninth Street residence near 1 a.m.
Eight grams of cocaine and about 11 grams of marijuana were found at the Cornwall home.

Marlyn Gonzalez remains silent

Marlyn Gonzalez, of 221 Bruce St., was arrested Monday night at Union and Common streets after her release from Lawrence General Hospital, where she spent five days recovering from an opiate overdose. Police Chief John Romero said Gonzalez won't say who she was carrying the drugs for."The detective didn't get three words out of his mouth and she said, 'My lawyer told me not to talk to police"' Romero said. "I'd have to believe the heroin was earmarked for Lawrence." Last Thursday morning, Gonzalez became ill and her boyfriend took her to the hospital, where she admitted swallowing the heroin. According to the police report, some of the bags broke open in her body and she was treated with Narcan, a drug that reverses the effect of a heroin overdose.She was arraigned yesterday on charges of trafficking heroin over 28 grams. The heroin she was carrying had a street value of about $50,000, and she was paid $4,000 for smuggling it into the country, police said.

Jury retires,Ian Rush, 43, is alleged to have set up his own business, Nautexco Marine, to continue supplying boats to drug smugglers

The jury in the trial of a man accused of continuing the trade of a Lowestoft company, after its owners were arrested for involvement in supplying boats to drug smugglers, has retired to consider its verdicts.Ian Rush, 43, is alleged to have set up his own business, Nautexco Marine, to continue supplying boats to drug smugglers after the arrests of Neil Davison and Ellen George, of Colville Road, Lowestoft, who ran Crompton Marine in Lowestoft.
Rush, of Brand End Road, Butterwick, near Boston, has pleaded not guilty to charges of conspiracy to retain the proceeds of drug smuggling and conspiracy to acquire criminal property.

Andrew Monarch extradited from Spain

Andrew Monarch left the United Kingdom and lived on a false passport after Mark Sayer was shot dead on the doorstep of his home near Redcar, east Cleveland, in 1996.He was extradited from Spain last year after being arrested in October 2005 by Spanish authorities on suspicion of conspiracy to murder Mr Sayer, a court heard.
Four other men were convicted and jailed for their parts in the death of the 22-year-old including the gunman Karl Henderson and getaway driver Edward Winter.
The killing was organised by Middlesbrough drug dealer Zarin Sherrif after his supplies of cannabis were stolen, Franz Muller, QC, told Teesside Crown Court today.A fourth man, Joeseph Marshall, was convicted of conspiracy to possess a firearm with intent, but cleared of conspiracy to murder.Sherrif, then aged 33, and of Ayresome Park Road, was convicted of conspiracy to murder and conspiracy to possess a firearm with intent.Winter and recently-freed convict Henderson - recruited by Marshall in July 1996 after a meeting in Blyth, Northumberland - were convicted of murder.Marshall, from Amble, Northumberland, originally asked Henderson and another pal to meet some friends in Middlesbrough to discuss "business", the court heard.But when Marshall later took them to a beach and dug up a thick black bin bag containing a gun and cartridges, the other man pulled out and Winter was recruited to drive.The jury was told that Mr Sayer was assasinated after answering the door at his rented home in Staithes Road, Dormanstown, on the evening of September 1.Mr Muller said the killer and the driver dumped the weapon - a Winchester pump-action shotgun - near the A66 as they fled north, and abandoned their car in Stockton.Mr Monarch, who lived in Whorlton Grove, Redcar, at the time and was a friend of Sherrif's, is suspected of picking the pair up and taking them to a Middlesbrough hotel for the night.Mr Muller told the jury that phone and pager records showed there was contact between Mr Monarch and Sherrif immediately after the murder as well as Sherrif and public call boxes in Stockton.It was also claimed Mr Monarch received several pager messages from Henderson and Winter's hotel room the following morning - one expressing "a certain amount of pleasure at what had been achieved".Mr Muller told the jury that Winter was arrested the following day, Henderson was found in Berkshire five days after that, and Sherrif a further three days later.Mr Monarch's solicitor arranged a meeting with the police the following day, but he failed to show up and was not traced despite "considerable efforts" by detectives.After finally being found in Spain and arrested by officers from Cleveland Police last July, Mr Monarch told them: "I've had nothing whatever to do with any murder at any time in my life."
Mr Monarch denies conspiracy to murder and the trial - scheduled to last more than two weeks - will continue tomorrow.

Marlyn Gonzalez, 26, was charged with trafficking more than 28 grams of heroin,

Marlyn Gonzalez, 26, was charged with trafficking more than 28 grams of heroin, police said.Police said Gonzales flew to her native Dominican Republic earlier this month and returned home to Lawrence, a heavily Latino immigrant city, after swallowing nearly four dozen baby carrot-sized bags of heroin. They said she took a pill to prevent her from going to the bathroom on the plane ride.As detectives arrested her at 5 p.m. at Union and Common streets, Gonzalez said, "My lawyer told me not to talk to police."Gonzalez was held overnight on $5,000 bail and is expected to be arraigned this morning in Lawrence District Court on the narcotics charge and an outstanding warrant, police said.
Police said the woman flew to the Dominican Republic earlier this month and returned home to Lawrence after swallowing nearly four dozen baby carrot-sized bags of heroin. She also took a pill to prevent her from going to the bathroom on the plane ride home.Last Thursday morning, Gonzalez, of 221 Bruce St., #2, became ill and her boyfriend took her to the hospital. She admitted to swallowing the heroin and doctors said she was suffering an opiate overdose caused by some of the heroin bags breaking open.She was given Narcan, a drug which reverses the effect of a heroin overdose, and she was admitted to the hospital, staying in the intensive care unit during part of her stay. Detectives closely monitored her condition over the weekend.The heroin Gonzalez was carrying had a street value of approximately $50,000. Gonzalez was paid $4,000 for smuggling the illegal drugs into the United States. She planned to use the money to pay off court fines on a shoplifting charge in New Hampshire, police said.The investigation remains open and further charges could be pending."It's a lot of drugs and we'd like to find out where it was going," police Chief John Romero said last night.Detectives are now looking into all of Gonzalez's visits outside the United States, including a trip to South Korea in the past year, Romero said.Born in the Dominican Republic, Gonzalez is unemployed, according to a booking slip.Commonly known as drug mules, visitors to foreign countries occasionally return to the United States after ingesting narcotics. The drugs are sometimes packaged in condoms or small balloons and then ingested.Hospital staff are required to notify police when they come across such cases.

James Stephen Rolen corrections officer charges related to receiving a bribe to smuggle heroin, marijuana and drug paraphernalia to inmates.

James Stephen Rolen, 31, a former corrections officer who had worked at Sheridan federal prison since 2003, received the sentence Monday by U.S. District Judge Garr M. King, said Assistant U.S. Attorney Hannah Horsley. Rolen pleaded guilty in November after an indictment on charges related to receiving a bribe to smuggle heroin, marijuana and drug paraphernalia to inmates.
Last February, FBI agents and prison authorities investigating the smuggling of contraband into the prison obtained a wiretap of Rolen's cell phone, Horsley said.
FBI agents listened to phone calls between Rolen and inmate Alfredo Carranza Jr., who asked Rolen to smuggle heroin and marijuana, promising to pay about $2,000. Carranza's juvenile sister gave Rolen part of that money. Carranza also asked Rolen to smuggle in a digital scale, water balloons and plastic wrap to conceal the drugs within the prison, Horsley said.On Feb. 23, 2007, Rolen met with Eliverio Martinez-Franco in a rural area near a Salem dairy farm to pick up black tar heroin and marijuana, Horsley said. Rolen was arrested two days later when he tried to enter the prison carrying a backpack filled with the drugs and paraphernalia.Carranza was sentenced in November to 30 months in prison on convictions of bribery and conspiracy to distribute heroin and marijuana, Horsley said. Carranza's sentence will start after he finishes the 97-month sentence he already was serving for a federal methamphetamine conviction from Sacramento, Calif., Horsley said.Martinez-Franco pleaded guilty to federal heroin charges and faces sentencing April 7.

Edward R. Ritter found with 19 bags of marijuana in his Upper Providence Township home

Edward R. Ritter found with 19 bags of marijuana in his Upper Providence Township home, Montgomery County District Attorney Risa Vetri Ferman said yesterday.
Ritter was charged Thursday with possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, and possession of marijuana with intent to deliver. Only the third count is a felony. Ritter was freed on bond. News of the arrest caught the school by surprise. An engineering professor at Villanova who declined to be identified described Ritter as a "quiet" man who enjoyed a good reputation at the school.
"I never saw anything like this coming," the professor said. Few faculty were at work yesterday at the Catholic university because it was Good Friday. But those who were in the engineering department talked about Ritter's arrest with shock.
Ferman said her office was investigating whether any drugs were sold by Ritter on campus. Police say they found both marijuana and drug paraphernalia at Ritter's home. Ritter could not be reached at his campus office yesterday. His current status at Villanova was not immediately available.

Domingo Cardona pleaded guilty to a charge of possession of more than 5 ounces of cocaine

Domingo Cardona, 30, has been imprisoned since Sept. 21, 2006, when parole officer Sterling Wheeler found a marijuana bud in the freezer of his home at 27-1/2 Gilman St., during a routine, but surprise, visit.Wheeler arrested Cardona, and a subsequent, more thorough search turned up about $30,000 cash, bundled up and stashed inside a cell phone box; a 500 gram brick of cocaine in a duffle bag under a pile of clothes; and bags, scales and another $4,270 in cash elsewhere in the apartment.Cardona was on parole after pleading guilty to cocaine possession and sales charges in 2004, court records show. Cardona also had prior drug convictions in Rhode Island at the time.Cardona admitted to possession and six sales of cocaine, and was given several consecutive sentences totaling 5-1/2 to 27 years on Aug. 9, 2004, court records show. He was released to home confinement, with an electronic monitoring bracelet less than a year later, on July 1, 2005, however.Cardona moved back into the same apartment, and apparently picked up where he'd left off.On Monday, he pleaded guilty to a charge of possession of more than 5 ounces of cocaine with the intent to sell, and was sentenced to 10 to 30 years in prison.
He and his lawyer, Adam Bernstein, also agreed with state prosecutors Brian Graf and Jane Young that 2-1/2 years of his previous, suspended sentence would be imposed, with credit for time served since his arrest.

Russell Burke,Christopher Burke,Jeanette Burke Merseyside drug smuggling scaffolders

John Mullally was one of three men who masterminded a racket in which millions of pounds worth of cocaine and heroin were shipped into the UK in scaffolding packaging. Russell Burke, of Strathmore Road, Fairfield; Christopher Burke, of Babbacombe Road, Childwall; and Jeanette Burke, of Old Hall Street, Liverpool city centre, all face similar hearings during June and July.They used a legitimate construction business as a front for their trade.
The 20-strong gang was jailed for a total of more than 200 years in July 2006 following a police operation codenamed Lima, which watched their activities for more than a year.Mullally, 45, formerly of Rutherford Road, Mossley Hill, was jailed for 14 years for conspiracy to supply heroin and cocaine.
Yesterday, he was back before Liverpool crown court for a Proceeds of Crime hearing, where it was ruled he should be stripped of £376,132 in cash and assets.
Judge Mark Brown told Mullally he had 28 days to release thousands of pounds from several bank accounts.Thousands of pounds more are already being held by Merseyside police after being seized when he was arrested.Judge Brown also warned Mullally he would be jailed for a further three-and-a-half years if he failed to hand over the total amount within six months.Mullally is the first of three members of the gang to face being stripped of their ill-gotten gains this week.David Baker, of Inchape Road, Broadgreen, and Keith Burke, of Quebec Quay, Liverpool city centre, are both due to appear in court tomorrow.
The gang’s scheme centred around a construction firm called KBE Engineering, which was set up by Burke in Aintree.Burke received 11 years for his part in the drug-smuggling operation, while Baker was jailed for 24 years for conspiracy to supply and contempt of court.The criminals had strong links with Spain, Holland and the Balkans.They moved scaffolding between Merseyside and the continent to give the impression of a legitimate construction business.While workers carried out genuine jobs across the North West, deliveries of scaffolding equipment were sent abroad for fake jobs.When the metalwork returned to Britain, its packaging was filled with huge quantities of class A drugs.The undercover investigation resulted in heroin and cocaine worth £2.5m being recovered before it hit the streets and clubs of Merseyside.

Purshottam Sondhi ,Bittu Atwal were arrested on the Rajasansi International Airport

Purshottam Sondhi was arrested on the Rajasansi International Airport road late Saturday night in a trap laid by the DRI officials, DRI joint director Deepak Rastogi said Sunday.Sondhi's associate Bittu Atwal, also from Jalandhar, was also arrested.In another seizure, the Punjab police in the adjoining border district of Tarn Taran caught a man Saturday with 4 kg of heroin valued at Rs.40 million. Three smugglers were arrested with the drug consignment.
The total seizure of 26 kg of heroin worth Rs.260 million is one of the biggest hauls of the illicit drug in recent years.Sondhi had concealed the drug consignment in 26 carbon packs, which were kept among suits for women.DRI investigations revealed that the consignment was to be delivered to someone at the airport from where it was to be taken to Canada.It is not the first time that names of Akali leaders have figured in drugs smuggling. Earlier, Akali leaders from Ferozepore and Dera Baba Nanak area have figured in such rackets.But Akali leaders in Chandigarh denied that Sondhi was associated with the party.DRI officials said that the heroin consignments were entering India through Pakistan after originating from Afghanistan.

Alan Mills,Kramer Craft, Peter Gill charged with conspiracy to supply cocaine.

Kramer Craft, 27, of Hinsby Court, St Neots, and Peter Gill, 37, of Penrwyn Court, St Neots were due before magistrates in Peterborough.Alan Mills, 60, of Princess Margaret Road, East Tilbury, Essex, was also due in court charged with conspiracy to supply cocaine.Other men arrested in the raids included a 47-year-old from Great Paxton, a 36-year-old from St Neots and a 35-year-old from St Neots.
The men not charged have been released on police bail until June 16.
A spokesman for Cambridgeshire police said a lorry stopped on Friday morning in East Tilbury was found to be carrying seven kilograms of cocaine with a street value of £1million.Armed officers were involved in the raids, which saw two people arrested in East Tilbury, two in St Neots, two in Great Paxton and one in Basildon, Essex.

Tia Trout arrested on suspicion of cocaine possession.

Tia Trout, 445 Chipeta Ave., No. 20, after contacting her on suspicion that at least one of the brake lights of her black Chevrolet Monte Carlo was out.
After officers warned Trout about her broken taillight, she agreed to allow an officer search her car for drugs, Trout’s arrest affidavit said.
While searching Trout’s purse, a police officer found two plastic bags with a white resin, which tested positive for cocaine, according to the affidavit.
After the search of her car, officers sent a team to search Trout’s apartment, but they found nothing of note, the affidavit said.
Trout was booked into Mesa County Jail later that night.

Hector Saldana Castaneda will spend 25 years in prison for a felony delivery of at least 5 grams of methamphetamine

Hector Saldana Castaneda, 41, must serve at least five years of his sentence before he is eligible for parole. District Judge Jeffrey Neary gave the sentence Thursday, said Coleman McAllister, Sioux County attorney.
A search warrant was issued for Saldana Castaneda's house after Northwest Iowa Drug Task Force conducted a controlled drug buy. The confidential informant bought one ounce of crystal meth for $1,000. The Oct. 18 search turned up more meth, drug paraphernalia, plastic bags, a gram scale and $1,620 in cash.Saldana Castaneda will be deported once he finishes his prison term. He was deported in 1996 after being sentenced to 18 months in prison for a cocaine possession conviction in Nebraska.