Undocumented man sentenced to 10 years for drug trafficking and illegal return

MIAMI, Fla. (CBS12) — An undocumented man from Mexico was sentenced Thursday to 10 years in prison for armed drug trafficking and illegal reentry, according to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ).

According to the DOJ, Mauricio Villalpando-Gaytan pleaded guilty to a five-count indictment charging him with possession with intent to distribute a detectable quantity of cocaine, possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture of cocaine, possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, possession of a firearm and ammunition by an undocumented migrant and illegal return after removal.

See also: WATCH: SWAT seizes guns, drugs in major raid that leads to 8 arrests

The DOJ says Villalpando-Gaytan, 34, sold and attempted to sell cocaine to an undercover law enforcement agency on two separate occasions.

The DOJ said the first event occurred on Jan. 28 while he was attending a local rodeo in Okeechobee County. Villalpando-Gaytan managed to sell $100 worth of cocaine to an undercover police officer. The second time took place on January 29. According to the DOJ, Villalpando-Gaytan was armed with a handgun and attempted to sell a kilogram of cocaine to the same undercover officer.

At the time of Villalpando’s arrest, the DOJ learned that he had been removed from the United States and had entered the U.S. illegally without authorization.

Find more ways to stay up to date with the latest local news. Subscribe to our newsletter to get the day’s top headlines straight to your inbox. Subscribe to our YouTube channel for the biggest stories and video you can’t miss.