Clemency Recipient Receives Lengthy Sentence for New Drug Trafficking Offense (DOJ)

LAREDO, Texas - A 53-year-old Laredo resident has been ordered to federal prison for possession with intent to distribute cocaine and conspiracy to do so, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.

Pio Alejandro Campos pleaded guilty Jan. 12.

U.S. District Judge Diana Saldaña has now ordered Campos to serve 262 months in federal prison. The court also found Campos had violated the terms of his supervised release from a previous federal drug trafficking crime by committing this offense and sentenced him to an additional term of 12 months to be served consecutively. The total 274-month term of imprisonment will be immediately followed by another eight years of supervised release. The court also assessed a $14,000 money judgement.

At the hearing, the court heard evidence that described his multiple convictions in various jurisdictions. In handing down the sentence, Judge Saldaña noted Campos had engaged in a continuing pattern of criminal activity that dated back to 2008, which included federal convictions involving cocaine or heroin in the Eastern District of Wisconsin, Northern District of Illinois and Southern District of Ohio and was ordered to serve approximately 250 total months in prison. In each case, he committed a new crime while on supervised release. After his most recent federal conviction, he was granted executive clemency in December 2024 and was on supervised release for that crime when he committed this cocaine trafficking offense in the Southern District of Texas.

In August 2024, while at a halfway house completing his sentence for heroin trafficking, Campos engaged in a series of cell phone and WhatsApp communications involving the potential sale of cocaine. During the course of the undercover operation, he sought to meet in person to discuss specifics rather than communicating via phone.

Following his release from custody upon his clemency approval, he continued to maintain communications, agreed to supply cocaine and discussed pricing based on delivery location which included San Antonio and Houston as well as New Orleans, Louisiana. On May 3, 2025, he delivered one kilogram of cocaine in San Antonio for $14,000.

He will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

Drug Enforcement Administration and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Lou Castillo prosecuted the case.