An imprisoned MS-13 gang member pleaded guilty to trafficking drugs from his California prison cell to the streets of New Jersey. His shipments included methamphetamine, cocaine, and heroin.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Joseph A. Dickson accepted the guilty plea of Luis Calderon, aka “Lagrima,” in a Newark federal court on Monday. The 32-year-old MS-13 gang member confessed to using contraband cell phones to conduct drug trades from inside the Calipatria State Prison in California, according to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
During an investigation led by ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents, officials recorded Calderon’s phone conversations with another MS-13 member in New Jersey. Calderon discussed plans to distribute crystal methamphetamine, heroin, and cocaine in the New Jersey area, ICE officials stated.
In one case, Calderon coordinated a drug shipment to a business center in Edison, New Jersey. The package contained four ounces of heroin and four ounces of cocaine. He said he would also include two ounces of crystal methamphetamine. In one conversation, Calderon conveyed the package recipient’s name and the tracking number for the shipment. He negotiated the sale price of $9,000.
Calderon used the cell phone’s three-way calling feature to arrange a conference call between the shipper in Los Angeles and the buyer in New Jersey, court records obtained by Breitbart Texas revealed. The sender shipped the package from “Maria Rodriguez” in Los Angeles to “Jairo Ruiz” in New Jersey via U.S. Priority Mail Express.
On November 4, 2015, federal agents intercepted the package and searched its contents. The effort yielded 95.5 grams of heroin, 54.7 grams of cocaine, and 52.4 grams of methamphetamine. The drugs were hidden in a box of Little Debbie Swiss Rolls, officials stated.
Calderon is scheduled for a sentencing hearing in June where he could face a prison sentence between 10 years to life. He could also be fined up to $10 million for his role in the prison-to-the-streets trafficking conspiracy.
Bob Price serves as associate editor and senior political news contributor for Breitbart Texas. He is a founding member of the Breitbart Texas team. Follow him on Twitter @BobPriceBBTX, GAB, and Facebook.
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