HARRISBURG, PA — Christopher Texidor, a 37-year-old man from Harrisburg, was sentenced to more than 24 years in prison for his role in trafficking over 2,200 pounds of marijuana through a sophisticated smuggling operation, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Middle District of Pennsylvania, announced today.
Texidor and his six codefendants — Jamie Valenzuela, William Kuduk, Jonathan Cobaugh, Justin Laboy, Jose Laboy, and Julio Arellano — operated a marijuana distribution ring between October 2018 and May 2020. Evidence presented during the trial showed that the group orchestrated a large-scale smuggling operation where a California-based supplier mailed hundreds of parcels filled with marijuana to Harrisburg via the U.S. Mail.
The operation used GPS tracking devices to monitor the movement of both the marijuana shipments and the cash payments that were regularly sent back to the supplier in California. The smuggling ring was responsible for moving over 9,000 pounds of marijuana worth millions of dollars into the Harrisburg area.
Texidor and his associates also employed violence to protect their illegal business. In late 2019, when marijuana shipments began to disappear, the group used GPS to identify a suspected thief and hired gunmen to retaliate. Between December 2019 and February 2020, the hired gunmen:
Shot into a truck in Harrisburg connected to the suspected thief.
Fired into an occupied home in Susquehanna Township, where the suspect was believed to be sleeping.
Shot into another occupied home in Steelton linked to the suspect.
All of Texidor’s co-conspirators, including Valenzuela, Kuduk, Cobaugh, and the Laboy brothers, have pleaded guilty to charges related to the smuggling operation.
With the conviction, Texidor will serve his 24-year sentence, a message to those involved in drug trafficking and violence that the justice system will hold them accountable for their actions.