A federal jury in Del Rio, Texas, has convicted a Kansas man of smuggling methamphetamine into the U.S.
Juan Antonio Antuna Jr., a 32-year-old from Wichita, Kansas, was found guilty of one count of importation of methamphetamine and one count of conspiracy to import methamphetamine.
The crime occurred on March 16, when Antuna arrived at the Del Rio International Bridge in a white van bearing Mexican license plates. He presented a Kansas driver’s license and declared that he possessed merchandise and food products, prompting a secondary inspection by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers.
During the inspection, CBP officers located food and vinyl signs, which Antuna had declared, along with two concrete pedestals. Further inspection of the pedestals revealed a white powdery substance that tested positive for 6.06 kg of methamphetamine.
The jury trial began on October 30, resulting in a guilty verdict on October 31. U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas made the announcement.
Homeland Security Investigations and U.S. Customs and Border Protection investigated the case, with Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tyler Fleming and Joseph Duarte II prosecuting the case.
The conviction is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative aimed at repelling the invasion of illegal immigration, eliminating cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protecting communities from violent crime.
A sentencing date has not yet been determined.
Related Federal Cases
- Perry Clark, Cocaine Smuggling, Texas 2019 · Texas
- Cherakee Lee Perez, Fentanyl and Meth Importation, Texas 2024 · Texas
- Beatrice Eunice Gutierrez, Meth and Fentanyl Possession, Texas 2023 · Kansas
- Cesar Alonzo Lopez Ruiz, Methamphetamine Smuggling, Texas 2024 · Texas
- Dwayne Graham, Meth Trafficking, Texas 2023 · Alabama
Key Facts
- State: Texas
- Category: Drug Trafficking
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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