HOUSTON, Texas – A 23-year-old Mexican national residing in Houston has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for a murder-for-hire scheme, according to U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. Alejandro Cardona-Rodriguez pleaded guilty in May to using interstate and foreign commerce facilities to commit murder. Upper Gulf Coast News- CLICK HERE U.S. District Judge Diana Saldana imposed the statutory maximum sentence, followed by three years of supervised release. During the hearing, the court considered Cardona-Rodriguez’s violent behavior, including an assault on another inmate while awaiting sentencing. The court emphasized the seriousness of the offense, which involved negotiating the murder of one of his ex-girlfriend’s boyfriends via Facebook and WhatsApp. Cardona-Rodriguez admitted to providing the location and photos of the intended victim. He will remain in custody until transferred to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility. The FBI and the Laredo Police Department conducted the investigation, with Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mary Ellen Smyth and Mike Makens prosecuting the case.