Jackson, TN – Five men from South Texas have been sentenced in Jackson, Tennessee for their involvement in trafficking multiple kilograms of methamphetamine. On September 13, 2024, the Honorable S. Thomas Anderson sentenced the final defendant in the Western District of Tennessee.
According to court information, in August 2019, FBI-Jackson, Tennessee, working with FBI-McAllen, Texas, identified a drug trafficking organization operating in South Texas. Investigators found that brothers Pablo Talavera, 64, and Elias Talavera, 52, were trafficking large quantities of methamphetamine and other narcotics across the United States.
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In January 2022, during a covert operation, agents seized nine kilograms of methamphetamine from an 18-wheeler in Jackson, which had been shipped by Pablo Talavera and associates to Tennessee. In March 2022, agents seized another 10.5 kilograms of methamphetamine in Camden, Tennessee, sent by the same organization. Investigators confirmed that Pablo and Elias Talavera acquired methamphetamine from cartels in Mexico and managed the shipments. Luis Sorcia, 32, Jose Cordova, 32, and Guillermo Castro, 51, assisted in transporting the narcotics and attempted to evade law enforcement detection.
Each co-conspirator pled guilty to the charges and received the following sentences from United States District Judge S. Thomas Anderson:
– Pablo Talavera, of Michoacan, Mexico: 275 months in prison and 5 years of supervised release for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
– Elias Talavera, of Reynosa, Mexico: 150 months in prison and 5 years of supervised release for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
– Luis Sorcia, of Edinburg, Texas: 120 months in prison and 5 years of supervised release for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
– Jose Cordova, of Reynosa, Mexico: 72 months in prison and 3 years of supervised release for aiding and abetting possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
– Guillermo Castro, of Brownsville, Texas: 60 months in prison and 3 years of supervised release for aiding and abetting possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
This investigation was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) initiative, which targets high-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations using a coordinated, multi-agency approach.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Jackson, Tennessee, and McAllen, Texas. Additional support came from the Drug Enforcement Administration Laboratories in Nashville, Tennessee, and Dallas, Texas, as well as several local law enforcement agencies.
Acting United States Attorney Reagan Fondren thanked Assistant United States Attorneys Gregory D. Allen and Hillary L. Parham for prosecuting the case and acknowledged the law enforcement partners who contributed to the investigation.
For more information, please contact the Media Relations Team at USATNW.Media@usdoj.gov. Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office on Facebook or X at @WDTNNews for office news and updates.
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