Cartel Leader Sentenced to Life Plus 60 Months

Noe Gonzalez-Martinez, a leader of the Cartel Del Noreste, has been sentenced to life in federal prison plus 60 months for his role in a murder-for-hire plot in Laredo, Texas. He was convicted on several charges, including conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, murder-for-hire, and possession of firearms related to drug trafficking. Gonzalez-Martinez and other cartel members planned the kidnapping and murder of a person they believed had stolen from the cartel, but the plot was thwarted by law enforcement before it could be carried out. The U.S. District Attorney emphasized the conviction as a substantial blow to the cartel and reiterated the Department of Justice's commitment to dismantling cartel operations. The DEA highlighted the case as evidence of their ongoing fight against foreign drug trafficking organizations threatening U.S. communities.