WACO, Texas - A Puerto Rican man was sentenced in federal court Tuesday to more than 15 years in prison for leading a drug trafficking organization that distributed thousands of fentanyl pills and caused the death of a U.S. Army spouse.
Drug leader sentenced
What we know:
Gilberto Joel Hernandez-Marin, 31, of Trujillo Alto, Puerto Rico, received a sentence of 188 months for his role in a conspiracy to possess and distribute the synthetic opioid. U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons announced the sentencing, noting that the group’s operations specifically targeted central Texas communities.
According to court records, Hernandez-Marin led a Puerto Rico-based drug trafficking organization alongside co-conspirator Adxel Romero-Flores. The group was found directly responsible for the fentanyl distribution that killed the dependent spouse of an active-duty soldier.
During the investigation, the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division (CID) intercepted approximately 8,100 fentanyl pills sent by the organization that were destined for the region.
What they're saying:
"Hernandez-Marin and his co-conspirators in this Puerto Rican DTO knowingly and recklessly trafficked thousands upon thousands of deadly fentanyl pills into our communities," Simmons said.
Hernandez-Marin is the final high-level member of the group to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Alan Albright. His co-conspirators previously received the following sentences:
- Juan Carlos Cabral, 34: Sentenced to 20 years on March 31.
- Adxel Romero-Flores, 34: Sentenced to 15 years and eight months on Dec. 2, 2025.
- Julio Samuel Bonilla-Tirado, 44: Sentenced to 14 years on July 9, 2025.
The Source: Information in this article is from the U.S. Attorney's Office, Western District of Texas.