Ponce
United States v. Ponce
Opinion
Lead Opinion
Ponce, McTague, and Monroy appeal their sentences imposed on remand after this court vacated their original sentences for conspiracy and possession of cocaine with intent to distribute. Anchondo and Castillon appeal their convictions following a trial on similar charges. Castillon also appeals his sentence.
BACKGROUND
On September 28, 1989, law enforcement agents executed a search warrant on a warehouse located in Sylmar, California. Inside, the agents found cardboard boxes containing approximately 21.4 tons of cocaine. With a street value of $6.9 billion, it was the largest known cocaine seizure in world history.
Subsequent investigation revealed that Carlos Tapia Ponce, James McTague, and others began transporting large quantities of marijuana from El Paso to Dallas in 1983. The organization moved into the cocaine distribution business around 1985. The cocaine was flown by the Medellin cartel from Colombia to Chihuahua, Mexico, and then stored in Juarez, Mexico.
The organization had on its payroll several American employees who worked at the El Paso border crossing. With their assistance, the cocaine was trucked into the United States, where it was stored at several El Paso…