BATON ROUGE — Five people connected to a large-scale cocaine and heroin trafficking network based in East Baton Rouge Parish have each been sentenced by a federal judge, a release from Wednesday says.

One of the men, 49-year-old Francisco Palma, was initially arrested in 2019 after he was accused of buying cocaine from Mexico and selling it in Baton Rouge, New Orleans and other cities dating back to 2017. WBRZ previously reported that agents seized more than $250,000 in illegal drug proceeds, luxury vehicles, heroin, cocaine and marijuana, as well as thirteen firearms during the investigation. 

Palma received 13 years in prison on conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and heroin, possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, unlawful travel in aid of a racketeering enterprise, unlawful use of communications facilities and money laundering charges.

Palma was buying the drugs with 40-year-old Juan Villareal from Filo, Texas, who was sentenced to 6½ years in prison. 

Palma also distributed cocaine and heroin to 36-year-old Richard Antunez, 44-year-old Marcos Antonio Filos and 44-year-old Corey Anderson for distribution in Baton Rouge, New Orleans and elsewhere.

Antunez, from Baton Rouge, was sentenced to nearly 70 months in prison on conspiracy and drug charges. Filos, from Marrero, was sentenced to 26 months on drug and conspiracy charges and Anderson, from Prairieville, was sentenced to two years of probation on unlawful use of communication facilities charges.