Detroit man linked to Mexican cartel sentenced to 40-60 years

A Detroit man linked to a Mexican drug cartel has been sentenced to 40-60 years behind bars in connection with distributing large quantities of cocaine, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel's office announced Thursday.

Alexander Aceval, 57, was found guilty last month of conspiracy to possess with intent to deliver 1,000 grams or more of cocaine.

Wayne County Circuit Judge Margy Van Houten sentenced Aceval on Thursday.

Aceval was accused of using a drug mule to help him import and distribute large quantities of cocaine transported in semitractor-trailer trucks from Mexico by a drug cartel, Nessel's office said.

Michigan State Police launched an investigation into Aceval and an accomplice after receiving a tip to its Metro Narcotics Enforcement Team. MSP followed the pair to a parking lot in a Brownstown Township industrial park and eventually stopped them in Lincoln Park, where detectives found approximately 40 kilograms of cocaine loaded into a pickup truck, investigators said.

"This sentence will serve to keep a repeat offender from continuing to flood our state with illegal and dangerous narcotics, and our communities are safer for it," Nessel said. "This conviction and sentence are a result of the excellent work of the Michigan State Police and the Metro Narcotics Enforcement Team, as well as prosecutors in my department, and I’m thankful for their efforts."

Aceval previously was convicted in 2005 of a similar charge, court records show. He was released in 2016 after serving 11 years. As a result of his previous conviction, Aceval’s sentence was enhanced, state officials said Thursday.