Manual Alfredo Mancillas, Crystal Methamphetamine Smuggling, Texas 2017

A 23-year-old Seattle man has been sentenced to federal prison for his role in smuggling crystal methamphetamine into Texas.

Manual Alfredo Mancillas, of Seattle, Washington, pleaded guilty on April 4, 2017, to conspiracy to import, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, possession with intent to distribute, and importing methamphetamine.

According to court documents, Mancillas traveled from Seattle to San Antonio in January 2017, then boarded a bus bound for Mexico. In Mexico, he took possession of a small pick-up truck that had four kilograms of crystal methamphetamine hidden in the vehicle's oil pan.

On January 19, 2017, Mancillas attempted to re-enter the United States from Mexico at the Lincoln Juarez International Bridge in Laredo. Customs and Border Protection officers discovered the hidden methamphetamine, weighing four kilograms.

Mancillas has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility. The investigation was conducted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Giselle S. Guerra prosecuting the case.

On April 4, Mancillas was handed a total sentence of 84 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. The case highlights the ongoing efforts to combat methamphetamine trafficking in the region.

Defendant: Manual Alfredo Mancillas

Criminal Charges: Conspiracy to import, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, possession with intent to distribute, and importing methamphetamine.

Location: Laredo, Texas

Crime Date: January 19, 2017

Sentence: 84 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release

This article is part of our ongoing coverage of drug trafficking cases in Texas.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdtx/pr/crystal-methamphetamine-smuggler-ordered-prison-0