EYEWITNESS NEWS (WBRE/WYOU) — The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced Friday that two Texas men pleaded guilty to trafficking cocaine in Lackawanna County.
United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania says Luis Gonzalez, 27, and Jose Torres, 27, both of El Paso, Texas, pleaded guilty to the charge of possession with intent to distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine.
According to U.S. Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Gonzalez admitted to possessing between 15 and 50 kilograms of cocaine to be distributed in the Lackawanna County area in September 2022.
Torres admitted to having between 15 and 50 kilograms of cocaine to sell throughout the Lackawanna County area in September of 2022, stated Karam.
Officials say the charges stem from an incident on September 29, 2022, where members of the Pennsylvania State Police made a traffic stop of a vehicle in Lackawanna County. Gonzalez and Torres were both in the vehicle.
Law enforcement says a search of the vehicle resulted in the seizure of 16 individually wrapped kilograms of cocaine, having a street value of around $500,000.
Officials say the mandatory minimum sentence for this offense is ten years in prison and the maximum sentence is life with a term of supervised release following imprisonment and fine.
