A federal judge sent a Laredo man to prison. The term is more than 11 years. Jorge Humberto Medrano Jr. is 24 years old. He sold fentanyl. He mixed it with a dangerous animal drug. Court records say he had close ties to Cartel del Noreste. That cartel is based across the border in Mexico.

This case shows a hard truth. Fentanyl in South Texas often leads back to cartels. Prosecutors say Medrano did more than sell drugs. Court records also link him to a smuggling ring. That ring is tied to nearly 2,000 migrants.

U.S. District Judge John A. Kazen gave the sentence. Medrano pleaded guilty on January 6. He admitted he teamed up to sell fentanyl. The legal name for the charge is a long one. It is conspiracy to possess fentanyl with intent to distribute. In plain words, it means he agreed with others to sell an illegal drug. The judge gave him 135 months in prison. That is 11 years and 3 months. Medrano must also serve 5 years of supervised release once he gets out. Supervised release is like strict probation. A federal officer checks on him. He must follow strict rules or go back to prison.

Court records say Medrano sold fentanyl mixed with xylazine. Xylazine is a drug vets use on large animals. Dealers cut it into fentanyl. It makes their drug supply go further. Doctors say the mix can cause deep skin wounds. Those wounds can expose muscle and bone. Medrano sold the mix to undercover cops. He did it more than 20 times over several years, court records say.

Prosecutors say Medrano had close ties to Cartel del Noreste. That cartel runs much of the drug and smuggling routes near Laredo. Officers searched his home. They found a hat with the cartel's logo on it, court records say.

Court records also link Medrano to a smuggling operation. That operation ties back to the same cartel. It has been linked to close to 2,000 migrants crossing the border illegally. Prosecutors say Medrano also tried to get other people to help smuggle migrants.

Laredo sits right on the border. It is a busy spot for legal trade. Prosecutors say it is also a route for cartel drug runs. Fentanyl mixed with xylazine keeps showing up more in South Texas.

Prosecutor Brandon Scott Bowling led the case. Many federal agencies worked it together. The FBI, DEA, and ATF all helped. So did Homeland Security agents and U.S. Marshals. Postal inspectors, IRS agents, Navy investigators, and Texas state troopers helped too.

Medrano is now behind bars. He will stay under federal watch for 5 years after he gets out. It is not clear if more arrests will come in the smuggling case tied to Medrano.