McALLEN (AP) - A federal judge has sentenced to 20 years in prison a second member of a south Texas kidnapping ring used by a Mexican drug cartel.

But U.S. District Judge Randy Crane allowed a co-defendant to withdraw his guilty plea Wednesday.

Crane sentenced Daniel Cavazos Reyes to prison for his role in the August 2008 kidnapping of Daniel Ramirez Jr. But later, Crane decided to reject prosecutors’ suggestion that he drop all but one kidnapping count against 40-yearold Jose Alfredo Rodriguez of Mission. Crane said Rodriguez apparently had been involved in another kidnapping that led to the torture and death of the victim.

Both men were indicted in December 2008 for their involvement in kidnappings on behalf of the Zetas - a former enforcement arm of the Gulf cartel turned independent drug trafficking entity - but reached plea agreements with prosecutors.