Leader of “delivery service” drug trafficking ring sentenced to prison

KANSAS CITY, KAN. - An illegal alien from Mexico was sentenced to 20 years in prison as the ringleader of a drug trafficking ring supplied by a Mexican cartel. A Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) investigation led to the convictions of Jose Antonio Heredia-Chang, 34, and approximately a dozen defendants who either worked for or were clients of his operation.

According to court documents, Heredia-Chang pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

In February 2023, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) launched an investigation into a drug trafficking ring in the Kansas City metro area. Agents determined Heredia-Chang to be the leader of a network that distributed methamphetamine, fentanyl, cocaine, and other narcotics. Buyers/distributors in Kansas City placed orders with Heredia-Chang, then he dispatched drivers to deliver the narcotics.

Agents gathered evidence tying Heredia-Chang to illegal narcotics and firearm sales. Further evidence proved Heredia-Chang was communicating with collaborators in Sinaloa, Mexico, to acquire and transport methamphetamine, fentanyl, and heroin, and that Heredia-Chang operated other distribution bases in Seattle, Washington, and Denver, Colorado.

"Thanks to the meticulous work of the Homeland Security Task Force, the Heredia-Chang delivery service is no longer importing poison like methamphetamine and fentanyl into our communities and those involved in the organization are in prison, including a dangerous illegal alien" said U.S. Attorney Ryan A. Kriegshauser. "Destroying these trans-national criminal organizations is at the core of why HSTFs were established. We applaud everyone involved in putting Mr. Heredia-Chang behind bars for the next two decades."

"Today's sentencing is the culmination of an investigation that shed light on the cartel members lurking in the shadows of our communities, inflicting fear and intimidation while pushing fentanyl, methamphetamine and cocaine around town," DEA St. Louis Field Division Special Agent in Charge Steven Hofer said. "These actions will not stand, and the DEA remains committed to working alongside our partners to remove these threats from our streets."

"Heredia-Chang ran a drug distribution network from the palm of his hand, dispatching drivers to deliver methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaine across the country while arranging firearms deals by phone," said Special Agent in Charge Bernard "Butch" Hansen of the ATF Kansas City Field Division. "His operation stretched from Mexico to Kansas City, Denver, and Seattle. This 20-year sentence reflects the tireless work of ATF, DEA and our Homeland Security Task Force partners across multiple jurisdictions, along with the skilled prosecutors who built the case that ultimately held the man directing this organization accountable."

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Faiza Alhambra prosecuted the case.

This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Kansas City comprises agents and officers from FBI; HSI; Drug Enforcement Administration; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; U.S. Marshals Service; U.S. Postal Inspection Service; and the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation Division with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney's Office for the District of Kansas.

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