EL PASO, Texas - A U.S. citizen living in Mexico was sentenced Thursday to 51 months in prison for conspiracy to import a controlled substance.
According to court documents, Eduardo Aletse Herrera, 20, of Cuidad Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico attempted to enter the U.S. at the Ysleta Port of Entry on July 28, 2022. During a vehicle inspection, Customs and Border Protection Officers discovered nine bundles hidden throughout the car. Five of the bundles tested positive for 5.84 kilograms of cocaine, while the remaining four bundles tested positive for 4.46 kilograms of fentanyl. Herrera pleaded guilty to one count in the eight-count indictment Nov. 30, 2022.
“The defendant in this case attempted to smuggle a very large amount of lethal narcotics into our country," said U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza of the Western District of Texas. “We can thank our partner agents at the border for detecting the drugs and thwarting Herrera’s efforts."
“This sentence sends a warning to drug smugglers that HSI special agents along with our law enforcement and judicial partners will work tirelessly to bring to justice those who supply our communities with fentanyl and other deadly drugs, contributing to an already-devastating national opioid epidemic." said Special Agent in Charge Francisco B. Burrola of the Homeland Security Investigations El Paso Division.
HSI and CBP investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Susanna Martinez prosecuted the case.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys