ABINGDON, Va. (WJHL) – A Texas man who was found guilty of “trafficking large quantities of high-purity methamphetamine from Mexico into Southwest Virginia” was sentenced to 25 years in federal prison Thursday, according to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ).

A release from the DOJ states that Alonso Cantu-Cantu, 46 of Houston, was convicted by a jury in April of conspiracy to distribute and possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine.

Prosecutors stated Cantu-Cantu was the “major source of supply for a drug conspiracy” that funneled large quantities of crystal meth and cocaine into Southwest and Central Virginia.

According to the DOJ, evidence in his trial showed Cantu-Cantu had received meth in 55-gallon drums from sources in Mexico, which were then transported to the U.S. via water tankers. Through a network of distributors, Cantu-Cantu reportedly directed drugs across the country, including Bristol, Virginia.

Cantu-Cantu’s sentencing was the result of a six-year-long investigation that began when authorities started looking into “street-level dealers in the Smyth County, Virginia area,” the release states.

The investigation was led by the  Drug Enforcement Administration-Washington Field Division’s Bristol Post of Duty, which was assisted by the Smyth County Sheriff’s Office. Several other local and state agencies from Virginia, Indiana and Alabama also assisted.