Sentencing set in Mennonite drug smuggling case

A man is set to be sentenced for helping move tons of marijuana to the United States in what prosecutors say was a conspiracy between a group of Mennonites and the Juarez drug cartel.

Court records show Abraham Friesen-Remple pleaded guilty in October to drug conspiracy charges in a deal that calls for 15 months in prison. When he is sentenced Monday, Friesen-Remple will have served the term.

Prosecutors say he helped the Mexican cartel smuggle drugs in the gas tanks of cars and inside large farm equipment. Authorities say the operation moved to North Carolina following the arrest of a person who ran a Colorado Springs auto body shop involved in the case.

The investigation involved wire taps in which 32,200 calls were recorded in Spanish and a German dialect used by Mennonites.