Former Pemex employee admits to laundering drug money

McALLEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — A former Pemex employee pleaded guilty to a federal money laundering charge on Tuesday.

Victor Hugo Montelongo Garcia — a man in his mid-40s from Diaz Ordaz, Tamaulipas — worked for Pemex from 2003 to 2025.

Homeland Security Investigations, however, discovered that Montelongo also laundered money for a drug trafficking organization.

“Did you know the funds being smuggled were drug proceeds?” U.S. Magistrate Judge J. Scott Hacker asked Montelongo on Tuesday morning, when he pleaded guilty.

“Yes,” Montelongo said.

Homeland Security Investigations, which is part of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, spent months scrutinizing Montelongo.

Agents interviewed a defendant in another criminal case — Cooperating Defendant 1 — who transported cocaine and cash for a drug trafficking organization.

When they arrested Cooperating Defendant 1, agents discovered messages between the defendant and someone who coordinated the illegal shipments.

Several messages discussed the delivery of “paper,” a reference to drug money. Other messages stated that couriers would be paid $1,200 per “piece” to Houston and $1,400 per “piece” to Dallas, which appeared to be the amounts paid for transporting a kilogram of cocaine.

Agents also discovered messages in which the person “claimed to work for Pemex,” according to the criminal complaint against Montelongo.

Pemex is an oil company owned by the Mexican government.

Agents also interviewed another defendant — Cooperating Defendant 2 — who smuggled drugs.

Cooperating Defendant 2 provided drug money to Montelongo, who smuggled the cash across the border. 

Montelongo was nicknamed “Pemex,” according to Cooperating Defendant 2, because he worked for the company.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection detained Montelongo on July 31, when he attempted to cross the Anzalduas bridge.

When agents questioned him, Montelongo said the phone number that had communicated with Cooperating Defendant 1 belonged to him. Montelongo also confirmed that he worked for Pemex.

A grand jury charged Montelongo with conspiracy to commit money laundering. After two months in jail, he pleaded guilty on Tuesday morning.

Montelongo confessed to coordinating the shipment of more than $10,000 in drug money from the United States to Mexico. Agents linked the cash to drug deals in Dallas, Houston and Mission that involved 5 to 15 kilograms of cocaine.

Sentencing is scheduled for January. Montelongo faces a maximum of 20 years in federal prison.