A Texas man admitted his role in a large-scale cocaine trafficking operation that sent drugs into Western New York.
Federal prosecutors said the case centers on a multi-state conspiracy that moved cocaine from Texas to customers across the country, including in Buffalo.
U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo said Norman Patillo, 45, of Houston, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, five kilograms or more of cocaine. The charge carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum of life.
Prosecutors said the conspiracy ran from April 2023 through Feb. 20, 2025. During that time, Patillo primarily transported cocaine collected in Texas for delivery to bulk buyers, including co-conspirators in Buffalo.
Authorities said the cocaine originated in Mexico. Patillo also picked up drug proceeds in Buffalo and other locations and returned the money to Texas. Investigators said he made numerous trips to Buffalo to drop off large quantities of cocaine or collect proceeds.
Patillo was arrested in April 2025 along with six other defendants. He is the first person in the case to be convicted.
The investigation also uncovered large drug seizures tied to the conspiracy. On May 7, Ontario County sheriff’s deputies seized more than nine kilograms of cocaine and more than 3,500 grams of pure methamphetamine during a traffic stop involving one of the co-defendants.
The case falls under the Homeland Security Task Force initiative, a federal effort aimed at dismantling transnational criminal organizations and drug cartels operating in the United States.
Homeland Security Investigations and the Drug Enforcement Administration led the investigation, with assistance from the Ontario County Sheriff’s Office, the 23rd Judicial Taskforce in Tennessee, and HSI offices in New York and Texas.
Patillo is scheduled to be sentenced Aug. 14 at 9:30 a.m. before U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo.
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