A 58-year-old Corpus Christi man, Tony Maldonado, also known as “Diablo,” has been sentenced to 200 months (16+ years) in federal prison for methamphetamine trafficking and violating two prior supervised release conditions, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Maldonado pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine on February 1, 2024. U.S. District Judge David S. Morales sentenced him to 188 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release. This sentence is a result of Maldonado’s long criminal history, including previous drug-related convictions, and his continued involvement in narcotics distribution.
In 2023, law enforcement discovered that Maldonado had resumed drug distribution activities from his elderly parent’s home. Authorities executed a search warrant in August 2023, seizing 83.86 grams of heroin, 39.34 grams of methamphetamine, and jail correspondence linking him to the Texas Syndicate prison gang.
Additionally, Maldonado’s violation of two supervised release terms led to further sentences: 50 months for a 2000 meth trafficking case and 24 months for a 2013 heroin distribution case. Twelve months of the latter sentence will be served consecutively, bringing his total sentence to 200 months in federal prison.
The investigation was led by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), in coordination with the FBI, Corpus Christi Police Department, and Homeland Security Investigations.
