A 50-year-old Alton resident has admitted he aided and abetted another man to bring meth into the country, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.

On April 22, 2021, Argelio Chavero drove a Chevrolet Trailblazer into Mexico from the United States with Agustin Romero Jr. in the passenger seat.

They returned two days later. Chavero entered the country through the Hidalgo port of entry pedestrian lane. At the same time, Chavero was driving the Trailblazer which was loaded with narcotics.  

Upon entry, authorities referred him and the vehicle to secondary inspection where they discovered anomalies in the fuel tank area. A physical search resulted in the seizure of 33 packages of meth and marijuana.

The weight of the meth was approximately 12 kilograms and had an estimated street value of approximately $70,000.

Further investigation led to the identification of Chavero.

Romero, 40, a U.S. citizen residing in Reynosa, Tamaulipas, Mexico, previously pleaded guilty for his role. At that time, he admitted he received payment from Chavero to drive the vehicle.

U.S. District Judge Marina G. Marmolejo accepted the plea today. U.S. District Judge Ricardo H. Hinojosa will impose sentencing for Romero and Chavero May 25 and July 26, respectively. At that time, Romero and Chavero both face a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.

Both have been and will remain in custody pending that hearing.

Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with the assistance of Customs and Border Protection. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Colton Turner and Eliza Rodriguez are prosecuting the case.

Original source can be found here.