Dalia Valencia Sentenced to Federal Prison

In El Paso this morning, 44-year-old Dalia Valencia was sentenced to federal prison announced United States Attorney Richard L. Durbin, Jr., Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Special Agent in Charge Waldemar Rodriguez, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Special Agent in Charge Will R. Glaspy, and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Special Agent in Charge Douglas E. Lindquist.

On May 27, 2016, Valencia pleaded guilty to one count of theft of government property and one count of conspiracy to violate the Racketeering Influenced Corrupt Organization (RICO) statute, namely acts of kidnapping, drug trafficking and money laundering.

Today, Senior United States District Judge David Briones imposed a 120-month sentence on the theft of government property charge and a 180-month sentence on the RICO charge. Both sentences are to run concurrent. In addition to the prison terms, Judge Briones ordered that Valencia pay over $80,000 in restitution to the families of her victims and $49,897 to the Social Security Administration; and, a money judgment for $12,480,000, to be paid joint and several with her brothers Emmanuel Velasco Gurrola and Samuel Velasco Gurrola. Judge Briones also ordered that Valencia forfeit to the Government real estate properties she owned in El Paso.

On March 23 and 24, 2017, Emmanuel Velasco Gurrola and Samuel Velasco Gurrola, respectively, were sentenced to life in federal prison for their roles in a murder-for-hire plot.

According to evidence presented during Samuel Velasco’s trial, in 2008, Samuel Velasco was married to Ruth Sagredo Escobedo. At the time, he was under indictment in El Paso County for aggravated sexual assault of a child and indecency with a child. Evidence further revealed that from September 2008 until November 2008, Samuel initiated a plot, with Dalia and Emmanuel’s help, to kill Sagredo while in Mexico in order to prevent her from testifying in the State case.

Testimony revealed that with Emmanuel’s help, Samuel also arranged to have Sagredo’s father and sister killed in an attempt to lure Sagredo to Mexico. On October 3, 2008, Francisco Maria Sagredo Villareal, Samuel’s father-in-law, was murdered in his house in Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico. On November 20, 2008, Francisco’s daughter, Cinthia Sagredo Escobedo, was murdered in Ciudad Juarez. Two days later, while traveling to her sister Cinthia’s funeral, Ruth Sagredo Escobedo and her friend Roberto Martinez were ambushed and murdered.

According to court records, Dalia, Emmanuel, and Samuel were part of a criminal organization that ran a cross-border car theft ring and imported and distributed tons of marijuana. The organization also engaged in an international kidnapping scheme whereby victims were kidnapped and held in Juarez, Mexico, while they and other criminal associates located in El Paso extorted ransom payment from the victims’ families.

Dalia, Emmanuel, and Samuel’s sister, 43-year-old Monica Velasco, remains a fugitive in this case. Monica Velasco is charged with conspiracy to violate the RICO statute, two money laundering counts and conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and import over 1,000 kilograms of marijuana. If you have information as to Monica Velasco’s whereabouts, contact the United States Marshals Service in El Paso at (915) 534-6779.

This investigation was conducted by the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the United States Marshals Service, the Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General, and the El Paso Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys Daphne Newaz and John Gibson are prosecuting this case on behalf of the Government.

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