Tony Maldonado, also known as “Diablo,” has been sentenced to more than 16 years in federal prison for meth trafficking and violating supervised release in two prior drug cases, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas announced today.
Maldonado, 58, of Corpus Christi, a long-time member of the Texas Syndicate prison gang, pleaded guilty on Feb. 1, 2024, to possession with intent to distribute meth, the office said.
Law enforcement began investigating Maldonado in mid-2023 after discovering he was distributing narcotics from his elderly parents’ home, the office reported.
After several months of surveillance, authorities executed a federal search warrant on Aug. 29, 2023, seizing 83.86 grams of heroin, 39.34 grams of meth, and jail letters confirming his active membership in the Texas Syndicate prison gang, according to the U.S. attorney’s office.
U.S. District Judge David S. Morales sentenced Maldonado to 188 months in prison for the meth trafficking offense, followed by five years of supervised release, the office stated.