Cleveland, Ohio – A Mexican national who played a central role in a massive cocaine distribution scheme in Northern Ohio has been sentenced to a lengthy prison term.
Dionicio Galindo-Salinas, 49, a citizen of Mexico, received a 235-month sentence—just over 19 years—in U.S. District Court on July 28, 2025. Judge John R. Adams imposed the sentence following Galindo-Salinas’s guilty plea in April to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine.
Court documents revealed that Galindo-Salinas, a criminal illegal alien previously removed from the United States, acted as a supplier for Cleveland-area drug traffickers, including a key conspirator identified as Earl King, 45, of Cleveland.
Cocaine Smuggling Operation Uncovered
Evidence presented in court showed that King regularly traveled more than 1,600 miles to the U.S.-Mexico border to purchase bulk quantities of cocaine from Galindo-Salinas. The narcotics were then shipped to the Cleveland area using a UPS-Staples store in Brownsville, Texas, in an effort to conceal the operation.
Investigators testified that King had been making these long-distance trips since approximately 2020. Records indicated that during this period, King acquired at least 47 kilograms of cocaine—more than 100 pounds—from Galindo-Salinas. According to testimony from the lead federal investigator, the street value of the drugs in Cleveland exceeded $2 million.
“Anyone who thinks they can use Northern Ohio as a marketplace to peddle illegal drugs on behalf of transnational criminal organizations will face consequences,” said U.S. Attorney David M. Toepfer for the Northern District of Ohio. “We are fully committed to protecting the public by aggressively enforcing federal laws to keep our communities safe.”
ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) also emphasized its commitment to dismantling such criminal enterprises. “ICE HSI will continue to investigate, disrupt and dismantle cross border drug trafficking organizations that seek to poison our communities,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Jared Murphey of ICE HSI Detroit. “I’m proud of the agents, prosecutors and law enforcement partners who relentlessly pursued justice in this case in order to safeguard the communities where they live and work.”
Other Conspirators Already Sentenced
Galindo-Salinas is the fourth conspirator to be convicted and sentenced in connection with the case. Earl King, who managed much of the transport and shipment of the cocaine, was previously sentenced to 15 years in prison after entering a guilty plea.
Curtis Anderson, another co-conspirator involved in the distribution of the narcotics within Cleveland, was convicted at trial and handed a 25-year prison term. Meanwhile, Donnell Gochett, 42, also of Cleveland, who provided King with addresses to receive the cocaine parcels, pled guilty and was sentenced to 100 months—just over eight years—in federal prison.
Federal Commitment to Ongoing Enforcement
This case underscores the federal government’s ongoing efforts to target large-scale drug trafficking operations tied to transnational networks. Authorities say that such operations not only devastate communities but also generate massive profits for criminal organizations exploiting vulnerable areas across the United States.
By imposing a sentence of nearly two decades, Judge Adams reinforced the gravity of Galindo-Salinas’s role in the conspiracy. Officials maintain that the successful prosecution of this case reflects the strong cooperation among federal agencies and local law enforcement in Ohio.
As U.S. Attorney Toepfer stated, the goal remains clear: to protect communities and dismantle the networks attempting to infiltrate them with dangerous narcotics.
