OHIO — A man has been sentenced to more than 15 years in federal prison for trafficking large quantities of cocaine in Northeast Ohio and illegally reentering the United States, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
Jaime Ortega-Urquidi, 63, was sentenced to 15 years and six months in prison after pleading guilty in November 2025 to possession with intent to distribute cocaine and illegal reentry following a prior removal and aggravated felony conviction.
According to court documents, the investigation began on May 28, 2025, when Lorain police officers conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle in which Ortega-Urquidi was a passenger. During the stop, a drug detection K-9 alerted officers to the presence of narcotics.
Authorities searched the vehicle and discovered approximately two kilograms of cocaine, nearly four and a half pounds, along with more than $29,000 in cash, officials said.
Investigators later determined Ortega-Urquidi was part of a drug trafficking organization that smuggled kilogram quantities of cocaine across the U.S.-Mexico border. The drugs were transported from Texas to Ohio, where Ortega-Urquidi distributed them to local dealers in the Lorain area.
Officials also said Ortega-Urquidi was illegally in the United States at the time of his arrest, after he had previously been removed from the country in October 2017 following a conviction for possession with intent to distribute cocaine.
The investigation involved multiple agencies, including the FBI Cleveland Division, the Lorain Police Department, the U.S. Border Patrol Sandusky Bay Station, and the Elyria Police Department.
