A 51-year-old Mexican national has been sentenced to 17 years in federal prison for smuggling liquid methamphetamine into the United States.
Paul Ivan Palmero-Martinez was sentenced in a federal court in Del Rio, Texas, to 210 months in prison, announced U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas.
According to court documents, Palmero-Martinez was arrested on June 5, 2022, after he attempted to smuggle 163 kilograms of liquid methamphetamine into the US using propane tanks.
Palmero-Martinez was driving a Ford F350 tow truck and claimed he was traveling from Piedras Negras to San Antonio to purchase motorcycles for his business in Mexico. However, US Customs and Border Protection officers (CBPO) directed him to secondary inspection, where a K9 alerted to the smell of narcotics.
Further inspection revealed anomalies in the propane tanks, which were then cut open to reveal six large packages of methamphetamine with a total weight of 168.2 kilograms.
Palmero-Martinez admitted to transporting the methamphetamine for a co-conspirator and had previously transported the F350 from Mexico to San Antonio through the Del Rio Port of Entry. He received $800 from the co-conspirator for his services.
Palmero-Martinez pleaded guilty to one count of the indictment and was sentenced by Chief U.S. District Judge Alia Moses. ICE HSI investigated the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Brett Miner prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that aims to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, eliminate cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect communities from violent crime.
Related Federal Cases
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- Julie Juarez Faces Life for Methamphetamine Trafficking, Texas, 2024 · Oklahoma
- Serenko Stacie, Methamphetamine Distribution, Texas 2013 · Texas
Key Facts
- State: Texas
- Category: Drug Trafficking
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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