Leodan Martinez-Angeles, a Mexican man previously convicted of drug smuggling, was arrested during a traffic stop by the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) after illegally reentering the United States.
The DPS trooper conducted an Operation Lone Star traffic stop just after 11 a.m. on Friday, Sept. 19, near U.S. Highway 59. The driver, identified as Martinez-Angeles, was found to be in the U.S. illegally.
Further investigation revealed Martinez-Angeles is an aggravated deported felon who had reentered the country after serving prison time for conspiracy to distribute marijuana. In 2018, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 1,000 kilograms of marijuana and was sentenced to three years in federal prison.
Following his release, Martinez-Angeles was deported by ICE in 2020 but reentered the U.S. in 2021. After the traffic stop, DPS handed him over to the U.S. Border Patrol.
Martinez-Angeles had an initial appearance hearing on Sept. 22 in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas, Laredo Division. He waived a detention hearing and was committed to the custody of the U.S. marshal pending sentencing.
