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Evelio Padilla-Zepeda Admits Smuggling Cocaine through Underwater Narcotics Tunnel
In a shocking case of drug smuggling, Evelio Padilla-Zepeda, a 28-year-old Honduran national, pleaded guilty to possessing 55 pounds of cocaine with intent to distribute after he was caught using an underwater tunnel to smuggle the drugs into the United States.
According to court records, Border Patrol Agents apprehended Padilla-Zepeda on April 25, 2015, after he emerged from an underground tunnel from Mexicali, Mexico, into the All-American Canal just north of the international border.
The tunnel, approximately 45 to 50 yards long, was discovered by agents who were patrolling the area when they received a tip about a suspicious individual in the canal. Upon searching the area, agents found Padilla-Zepeda, who was soaking wet and dressed in a wetsuit, along with 25 one-pound vacuum-sealed packages of cocaine, scuba tanks, and diving gear.
Padilla-Zepeda, who admitted to using his scuba gear to transport the cocaine underwater to another location in the canal, faces a maximum penalty of 20 years’ imprisonment and a $250,000 fine.
U.S. Attorney Laura Duffy praised the work of law enforcement agencies in shutting down the cross-border drug tunnel, saying, ‘Drug smugglers will try anything to move their product – even scuba diving in an underwater tunnel.’
Padilla-Zepeda is scheduled to be sentenced on December 7, 2015, at 9:00 a.m. before U.S. District Judge Roger Benitez.
Mandatory Facts:
- Defendant: Evelio Padilla-Zepeda
- Criminal Charges: Possession of Cocaine With Intent To Distribute — Title 21, U.S.C., Section 841(a)(1)
- City and State: Calexico, California
- Date: April 25, 2015
- Sentence: Scheduled to be sentenced on December 7, 2015
- Dollar Amount: $250,000 fine
Key Facts
- State: California
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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