Jose Ismael Salas, the 40-year-old leader of Texas Syndicate prison gang in the Rio Grande Valley area was sentenced to 20 years in prison earlier this week on charges of racketeering, drug possession and kidnapping. The sentence, given on Monday, comes almost 4 ½ years after his indictment. Five other gang members and associates were part of the sentencing.

Salas pleaded guilty back in 2009 to two counts of drug trafficking in his racketeering case for possessing cocaine and marijuana with the intent to distribute. One of those charges, which came on August 2004, was issued for intent to distribute 6 kilograms of cocaine. The other, which came back in March 2003, involved intent to distribute 39 kilograms of marijuana. Other charges which were initially part of the case, including one for murder, have since been dismissed.

Another one of the Texas Syndicate members, known as the gang's drug supplier, sentenced on Monday received 10 years and six months in prison. Charges against him involved intent to distribute 6 kilograms of cocaine back in July 2009.

One member received 12 years and seven months in prison for kidnapping and shooting an individual in Mexico back in 2004. Another member was sentenced to 20 years in prison for murdering a fellow gang member who failed to carry out an order to murder a rival gang member. Two other members were sentenced to 10 and 20 years in prison in connection with the murder of a man whose death had been authorized by the Texas Syndicate.

Sources said this round of sentencing was the finale of a set of sentences involving the 13 individuals listed in the indictment.

Source: The Monitor, "Texas Syndicate's Valley head gets 20 years; 5 fellow gang members also sentenced," Ildefonso Ortiz, Sep 1, 2011.