Mexican drug-family king sentenced in Sacramento October 27, 2010 - sacbee.com
A man described by federal officials as the head of a Mexican drug trafficking family has been sentenced in Sacramento to more than 23 years in prison.
U.S. District Judge Morrison C. England Jr. today sentenced Miguel Ruiz-Bravo, 39, of Apatzingan, Mexico, to 23 years and four months in prison for conspiring to distribute methamphetamine. Ruiz-Bravo pleaded guilty June 24.
According to court documents in a separate matter, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agents in March 2003 discovered an active methamphetamine laboratory in the Tehama County town of Corning. The agents arrested seven people and seized approximately 36 pounds of methamphetamine.
These individuals had been observed traveling in three different vehicles, all registered in names that were aliases used by Miguel Ruiz-Bravo, who was believed to be in Mexico at the time of the arrests, according to a federal Department of Justice news release.
One of the people arrested was the defendant's brother, Alejandro Ruiz-Bravo, who pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 12 years in prison.
Agents continued their investigation into the Ruiz-Bravo organization, and in July 2004, they received authorization to install a wiretap in a phone used by Ruiz-Bravo's nephew, Jaime Ruiz-Estrella.
Intercepted calls showed that Miguel Ruiz-Bravo was controlling an active methamphetamine distribution business in Sacramento from his home in Mexico, primarily through instructions passed to his nephew Ruiz-Estrella and another brother, Gerardo Ruiz-Bravo, according to the news release.
On Aug. 1, 2004, agents seized 18 pounds of methamphetamine from Ruiz-Estrella. This seizure led to the arrest of 10 more people, including Ruiz Bravo's nephew and younger brother. Again, officials said, Miguel Ruiz-Bravo was in Mexico at the time of the arrests.
All the defendants pleaded guilty, and Jaime Ruiz-Estrella and Gerardo Ruiz-Bravo were sentenced to 188 months and 168 months, respectively.
On Aug. 24, 2005, an indictment charged Miguel Ruiz-Bravo with directing the delivery of 18 pounds of methamphetamine seized from his nephew.
Miguel Ruiz-Bravo was arrested on Dec. 15, 2006 by state authorities with five other people, including another brother, Omar Ruiz-Bravo.
The state charged Miguel Ruiz-Bravo with possessing approximately 80 pounds of methamphetamine. He subsequently pleaded guilty and was sentenced in Sacramento Superior Court to 17 years in prison. Following his sentencing, he was transferred to federal custody for prosecution.
Officials said the case resulted from extensive investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S Attorney Philip Ferrari prosecuted the case.
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