Federal prosecutors have announced that a member of the MS-13 gang, Mario Clifford Libera, known as “Chukey,” will serve 17 years in prison. He was found to have coordinated a fentanyl trafficking network even while incarcerated in a Florida facility.
Libera, 32, received his sentence on Wednesday for using the U.S. Postal Service to transport over three kilograms of deadly drugs from Mexico to Florida, as reported by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida.
The particulars of Libera’s legal situation remain unclear at this moment.
“His 17-year sentence should alert other gangs attempting to inundate our communities with dangerous substances like fentanyl,” stated U.S. Attorney Hayden Ovillund. “We will find you, dismantle your networks, and enforce the law to hold you accountable, whether you’re on the streets or behind bars.”
Prosecutors indicated that Libera initiated a drug operation in 2023 while on bail, selling two kilograms of lethal drugs to buyers in Florida. He was reportedly involved in throwing these dangerous substances into occupied vehicles while he dealt with his ongoing prison sentences.
Members of the gang utilized contraband cell phones to continue instructing how to sell fentanyl, setting prices and organizing sales.
He reportedly directed the sale of drugs at approximately $1,500 per ounce, according to court documents obtained by the Miami Herald.
The fentanyl trafficking operation carried out by his crew moved drugs from Mexico into California, passing through the border wall before reaching Florida, where they were mailed to Libera and his associates for distribution.
“The U.S. Postal Inspection Service aims to prevent dangerous drugs like fentanyl from being used in our communities,” stated Stephen L. Hodges, a representative inspector in Miami. “This sentencing should reinforce our commitment to collaborate with law enforcement and ensure that those involved in drug trafficking through mail are brought to justice.”
Libera entered a guilty plea for drug trafficking in January. His federal sentence will commence after he completes his state prison term.
Earlier this year, former President Trump designated MS-13, a notorious Salvadoran gang, as a foreign terrorist organization as part of a national emergency declaration at the border.
