A Texas man who oversaw a drug ring in the Kansas City area was sentenced to 21.8 years in federal prison on Wednesday, according to U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister.
Jorge Portillo-Uranga, 36, Teague, Texas, pleaded guilty to seven felony counts including conspiracy, possession with intent to distribute cocaine and using a telephone in furtherance of drug trafficking.
According to court documents, the Drug Enforcement Administration began an investigation in 2016 of a drug trafficking organization headed by Portillo-Uranga that was selling kilogram quantities of cocaine and marijuana to buyers in the Kansas City metro area.
Portillo-Uranga managed the operation from his home in Teague, Texas. Investigators intercepted communications between Portillo-Uranga in Texas and other members of the organization as he directed their movements in obtaining cocaine and delivering it to Kansas City.
In various conversations, Portillo-Uranga expressed his suspicions that some of the traffickers were skimming cocaine from the shipments.
McAllister commended the Drug Enforcement Administration, Assistant U.S. Attorney Trent Krug and Assistant U.S. Attorney David Zabel for their work on the case.