United States Drug Enforcement Administration

SUFFIELD, Conn. - Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that SERGIO HORTA-MOLINA, 47, of Suffield, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to 94 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release, for trafficking cocaine, and for violating the conditions of his supervised release from a prior narcotics trafficking conviction.

According to court documents and statements made in court, in October 2021, the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Hartford Task Force began investigating a drug trafficking organization, with ties to a Mexican drug cartel, operating in the area of Enfield, Connecticut, and Springfield, Massachusetts.  The organization was believed to be trafficking multi-kilogram quantities of cocaine, as well as heroin.  The investigation, which included court-authorized wiretaps and controlled purchases and seizures of narcotics, revealed that Horta-Molina arranged the shipment of cocaine and other narcotics to Connecticut, and then distributed the drugs to other members of the organization who, in turn, sold the drugs to street-level traffickers and drug customers.

During the investigation, Horta-Molina arranged the shipment of a package from California to Juan Sanchez-Razon’s residence in Enfield.  On April 27, 2022, Sanchez-Razon delivered the package to another individual.  Law enforcement subsequently stopped that individual as he was attempting to deliver the package to Horta-Molina.  A search of the package revealed a kilogram of cocaine.

Horta-Molina was previously convicted in the District of New Jersey of conspiring to distribute cocaine and heroin.  He was charged with the offense after a search of his Suffield residence in September 2017 revealed approximately 23 kilograms of cocaine and one kilogram of heroin.  In November 2019, Horta-Molina was sentenced to 40 months of imprisonment and five years of supervised release for that offense.  Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, he was released from prison early in May 2020, and he was on federal supervised release at the time of his criminal conduct in this case.

Horta-Molina has been detained since his arrest on May 5, 2021.  On March 10, 2023, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine.

Judge Dooley sentenced Horta-Molina to 70 months of imprisonment for the cocaine offense, and a consecutive 24 month of imprisonment for violating the conditions of his supervised release.

Sanchez-Razon pleaded guilty to a related charge and awaits sentencing.

This investigation has been conducted by the DEA’s Hartford Task Force and the Enfield Police Department.  The Task Force includes personnel from the DEA Hartford Resident Office, the Connecticut State Police, and the Bristol, Hartford, East Hartford, Enfield, Manchester, New Britain, Rocky Hill, Wethersfield, Windsor Locks and Willimantic Police Departments.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney A. Reed Durham through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program.  OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs and transnational criminal organizations through a prosecutor-led and intelligence-driven approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies.  Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.