Phillip Junior Webb, Smuggling, California 2018

The San Diego Federal Court has sentenced 20-year-old Phillip Junior Webb to 46 months in custody for conspiring to distribute controlled substances and smuggle undocumented individuals, including a Mexican national and Chinese national, for financial gain.

According to the public record, at the time of the offense, Webb was an 18-year-old high school senior who recruited other high school students to smuggle methamphetamine and/or fentanyl into the United States on multiple occasions.

In each instance, the juveniles had drugs strapped on their bodies as they attempted to enter the United States at the San Ysidro or Otay Mesa Ports of Entry.

In May 2018, Defendant Webb was caught attempting to bring a Chinese national and a Mexican national into the United States in the trunk of his vehicle.

Webb pleaded guilty in federal court to charges that he recruited classmates to smuggle methamphetamine and fentanyl in July 2018.

U.S. Attorney Robert S. Brewer, Jr. expressed his concern over the exploitation of youth by drug cartels, stating that the justice system will not stand by and let profiteers damage our children.

The case is the result of the ongoing efforts by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), a partnership that brings together the combined expertise and unique abilities of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies.

U.S. Attorney Brewer commended AUSA Sherri Hobson for her work in spearheading a juvenile smuggling prevention program, which has made scores of presentations and reached over 11,580 people, including 9,250 students and 610 school staff.

The multi-agency prevention team continues to work with local schools, South Bay Community Services, and other organizations to educate juveniles on the dangers and consequences of being involved in the world of drug smuggling.

In related news, CBP Director of Field Operations for San Diego, Pete Flores, commended the great work of CBP, HSI and DEA and recognized the unified coordination across government agencies to bring this person to justice.

This case is a stark reminder of the dangers of youth exploitation by transnational criminal organizations and the importance of continued cooperation and coordination among law enforcement agencies to prevent and prosecute such crimes.

In the end, Webb's sentence serves as an example of justice brought to an individual conspiring to exploit juveniles for their own financial gain.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdca/pr/teen-who-smuggled-individuals-and-recruited-juveniles-smuggle-drugs-sentenced-46-months