A Fort Worth man has been sentenced to 40 years in federal prison after authorities announced this week they uncovered more than 244 kilograms of methamphetamine during a drug trafficking investigation.
Evaristo Hidrogo, 31, was sentenced June 26 by Chief U.S. District Judge Reed O'Connor after pleading guilty to possessing with intent to distribute more than 244 kilograms of methamphetamine with a 100% purity level, along with other controlled substances and three firearms.
According to court records, the investigation began on Nov. 18, 2025, when Hidrogo led law enforcement on a high-speed chase before crashing into another vehicle.
Officers arrested him after a brief pursuit and recovered 56 grams of methamphetamine from his person.
A search of his vehicle turned up an additional 823 grams of methamphetamine, 301 grams of heroin, 55 grams of cocaine and two firearms.
Investigators later searched a Fort Worth storage unit and a residence tied to Hidrogo, where they found another 244 kilograms of methamphetamine in the storage unit, and about 10 kilograms of methamphetamine, two kilograms of heroin and another firearm in the searched residence.
"This lengthy prison sentence serves as a warning to anyone distributing narcotics in the Northern District of Texas," U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould said. "We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to identify and prosecute drug traffickers, as we remain committed to make the communities in which we live safer."
DEA Dallas Special Agent in Charge Joseph B. Tucker said the sentence "sends an unmistakable message to those who flood North Texas communities with methamphetamine, you will be held accountable."
"The men and women of DEA and our law enforcement partners remain committed to identifying and dismantling the criminal organizations distributing this poison throughout the DFW Metroplex and will continue to work tirelessly to ensure the safety of our communities," Tucker said.
The Drug Enforcement Administration's Fort Worth District Office led the investigation with assistance from the Tarrant County Sheriff's Office.
Emmanuel Rivas Valenzuela is KERA's breaking news reporter. Got a tip? Email Emmanuel at erivas@kera.org. KERA News is made possible through the generosity of our members.
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