San Antonio member of Texas Mexican Mafia receives 20+ year sentence for drug trafficking, DOJ says

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A San Antonio member of the Texas Mexican Mafia was sentenced to over 20 years in prison for his involvement in drug trafficking and firearm offenses, according to the United States Department of Justice.

David Cortez Jr., 35, known as “Tazmanian” or “Taz,” was a sergeant in the mafia, the department said. He was given a 250 month sentence in federal prison.

The Drug Enforcement Administration caught Cortez discussing Texas Mexican Mafia drug deals, the DOJ news release said. He was arrested in October 2020 as authorities found heroin and a loaded handgun on him.

KSAT reported Cortez’s arrest in 2020, along with 11 other San Antonio members of the Texas Mexican Mafia for distributing drugs. During the raids, authorities seized 15 firearms, about 20 kilograms of methamphetamine and cocaine.

“As a ranking officer in one of the most notorious gangs in San Antonio, David Cortez Jr. and his many co-conspirators flooded our community with narcotics,” U.S. Attorney Justin Simmons said.

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