Pittsburgh, PA — On February 26, Ruben Noel Sanchez, 29, and his brother Rubel Sanchez, 22, both of Youngstown, Ohio, were sentenced in federal court for their roles in a drug trafficking conspiracy, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Pennsylvania confirmed.
Ruben Sanchez received a 13-year prison term followed by four years of supervised release. Rubel Sanchez was sentenced to 10 years in prison, also with four years of supervised release.
Both men were convicted of conspiring to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute at least 500 grams of cocaine. Additionally, Ruben Sanchez pleaded guilty to charges of possessing fentanyl, heroin, cocaine, and methamphetamine with intent to distribute, as well as firearms possession in furtherance of drug trafficking.
The brothers were part of a drug trafficking operation that moved large quantities of cocaine from Puerto Rico to Western Pennsylvania and Youngstown. Drug parcels were typically sent through the U.S. Postal Service, with some shipments routed through Philadelphia before reaching Youngstown. Upon arrival, the Sanchez brothers and their associates distributed cocaine to customers and dealers in Youngstown and Lawrence County.
In March 2024, authorities executed a federal search warrant at a Youngstown residence tied to the brothers, resulting in the seizure of several firearms, including a modified Glock pistol with a machine gun conversion device. Law enforcement also recovered fentanyl, heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine, and xylazine from the residence.
Evidence linked the brothers to the distribution of at least five kilograms of cocaine and 40 grams of fentanyl, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
