Brownsville Cocaine Trafficker Sentenced to 125 Months for Money Laundering Conspiracy
A Texas man has been sentenced to 125 months in federal prison for cocaine trafficking and conspiracy to launder monetary instruments in a case involving a multi-kilogram shipment destined for New York.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas said Eduardo Rodriguez Jr., 27, was sentenced on August 26, 2026, by U.S. District Judge Rolando Olvera. The prison term will be followed by five years of supervised release. Rodriguez pleaded guilty on November 5, 2024.
Investigation traced a 24kg cocaine shipment
According to the Department of Justice, investigators identified Rodriguez in January 2024 as a large-scale cocaine trafficker coordinating the smuggling, transportation and distribution of multi-kilogram quantities of cocaine from Mexico into the United States.
On March 1, 2024, law enforcement identified an expected cocaine delivery at a residence in Brownsville. During surveillance, officers observed Daniel Roldan enter the residence, leave carrying a large box and place it in a vehicle. Authorities seized the box and found approximately 24 kilograms of cocaine.
Evidence showed Rodriguez coordinated the shipment, which was intended for New York. Roldan, 39, of Brownsville, and Andres Malave III, 45, of the Bronx, New York, also pleaded guilty in the case and have been sentenced.
Rodriguez was convicted not only of the drug-trafficking conduct but also of conspiracy to launder monetary instruments. The Justice Department’s August 27 release does not disclose the specific transactions or methods underlying the laundering conspiracy, so no additional laundering pathway has been inferred.
The investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations and the FBI, with assistance from the Brownsville Police Department. The case formed part of the Homeland Security Task Force initiative targeting criminal cartels and transnational criminal organisations.
