Idaho Falls man sentenced in major Wyoming-Idaho cocaine trafficking conspiracy
Seth Ratliff
JACKSON, Wyoming (KIFI) — The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Wyoming is touting the final sentencing in a three-year investigation that dismantled a major cocaine trafficking conspiracy operating across Wyoming and Idaho as the result of successful cooperation between multiple agencies.
Jose Junior Ramos, 32, of Idaho Falls, was sentenced earlier this month by U.S. District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson to 95 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release. Ramos previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute cocaine and three counts of distribution.
The case was investigated by multiple federal and state agencies, including the DCI, DEA, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Teton County Sheriff’s Office (Idaho), and the Idaho State Police. In a press conference on Friday, U.S. Attorney Darin Smith characterized the operation as a victory for multi-agency collaboration across the Cowboy and Gem States.
“This was part of a multi-agency collaboration dedicated to dismantling transnational criminal organizations responsible for drug trafficking,” said U.S. Attorney Darin Smith. “Through sustained cooperation, we are reducing the number of drugs coming into Wyoming.”
The Investigation: From Phoenix to the Tetons
The crackdown began in November 2023, when the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) Southwest Enforcement Team identified a drug trafficking organization operating in and around Jackson, Wyoming.
Agents discovered that Ramos, along with Saul Andrew Garcia of Irwin, Idaho, and three foreign nationals, was responsible for trafficking cocaine from Phoenix, Arizona, into Lincoln and Teton Counties in Wyoming, as well as Bonneville and Teton Counties in Idaho.
The investigation reached a turning point in April 2025 when investigators stopped Ramos while driving back from Phoenix, finding three kilograms of cocaine in the vehicle. After obtaining a search warrant for his home, the following raid uncovered over a dozen firearms and a significant amount of cash.
In total, the conspiracy was held responsible for trafficking nearly 10 kilograms (22 pounds) of cocaine.
The Co-Conspirators
Ramos’s sentencing marks the final nail in the coffin of a major drug case. As for his co-conspirators:
Saul Andrew Garcia, 26, of Irwin, Idaho, was sentenced to 120 months in prison with five years of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute cocaine and three counts of distribution of cocaine.
Cesar Antancio Torres-Cazares, 36, of La Piedad, Michoacan, Mexico, was sentenced to 24 months in prison with three years of supervised release for possession with intent to distribute cocaine and time served for illegal reentry into the United States. He will be deported following the completion of his prison sentence.
Marlon Forrest, 29, of Port Maria, Jamaica, was sentenced to 80 months in federal prison with three years of supervised release for aiding and abetting the distribution of cocaine.
Oneil Anthony Findley, of Savanna-la-Mar, Jamaica, was sentenced to 68 months in prison with three years of supervised release for attempted possession with intent to distribute cocaine, use of a communication facility to facilitate a felony drug offense, and conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine.
“If you are a bad actor poisoning our kids and weakening our communities, don’t even get on our roads, because we are coming for you and we are going to lock you up,” said Smith.