Man hires hitman to kill ex’s boyfriend, but it’s really an undercover cop, feds say
A Texas man was sentenced to prison after officials say he tried to hire a hitman to kill his ex-girlfriend’s boyfriend.
Alejandro Cardona-Rodriguez pleaded guilty to murder for hire in May 2023, according to court records and an Oct. 2 news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison.
McClatchy News reached out to Cardona-Rodriguez’s attorney but did not immediately hear back.
Officials said Cardona-Rodriguez unknowingly plotted a murder-for-hire with an undercover police officer.
Cardona-Rodriguez spoke with the undercover officer between Jan. 30 and Feb. 6 2023, according to a criminal complaint. During their communication, the two talked about killing Cardona-Rodriguez’s ex-girlfriend’s boyfriend, officials said.
“What’s up, you’re the one who’s going to kill the (expletive)?” Cardona-Rodriguez asked the undercover cop in a message, according to court records.
The officer responded by saying, “I’m the one that connects you.”
The undercover officer told Cardona-Rodriguez that half the money had to be paid beforehand, and Cardona-Rodriguez asked how soon it could be carried out, court records said.
The officer then told Cardona-Rodriguez that he would be bringing someone from Mexico to carry out the killing, the complaint said.
Cardona-Rodriguez agreed to meet with the undercover officer on Feb. 6, 2023, to pay the amount discussed, court records said. However, he didn’t respond when the undercover officer reached out to him.
After investigators contacted the man Cardona-Rodriguez was plotting to kill, they were able to track down his whereabouts and arrest him, prosecutors said. When investigators questioned him, Cardona-Rodriguez said he believed the baby he was caring for with his girlfriend may have belonged to the boyfriend, court records said.
Cardona-Rodriguez told investigators he wanted the victim dead because he was angry and was receiving threats from fake social media accounts, according to the complaint.
