Two Mexican nationals were sentenced on May 19 in U.S. District Court for their involvement in a cocaine conspiracy and violations of immigration laws.
Cristian Melendez, 42, and Ismerio Garcia-Ontivaro, 39, were stopped by law enforcement on Interstate 70 in June 2025 for a window tint violation. Officers discovered more than three kilograms of cocaine hidden inside a compartment that ran from the console to the rear seats of their Honda Accord. The car had been delivered to them by a hauler traveling from Arizona to Columbus.
Both men received sentences of 60 months in federal prison. U.S. Attorney Dominick S. Gerace II said, “Both defendants previously were convicted of drug trafficking and subsequently deported from the United States, only to illegally return and continue to traffic dangerous drugs into our communities. This Office will continue to aggressively prosecute such repeat offenders and seek strong sentences to hold them to account.”
Melendez was previously convicted for trafficking heroin and illegal possession of firearms, while Garcia-Ontivaro had prior convictions related to cocaine trafficking in North Carolina. Both individuals had been removed from the United States before returning unlawfully.
The case is part of Operation Take Back America, an initiative led by the Department of Justice aiming to address illegal immigration, dismantle cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect communities from violent crime perpetrators.
Dominick S. Gerace II announced the sentences alongside Jared Murphey, Acting Special Agent in Charge with Homeland Security Investigations Detroit; Kevin Raycraft, Acting Field Office Director with ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Detroit; with Chief U.S. District Judge Sarah D. Morrison imposing the sentences.
