Macy, NE – Teriona Freemont, 25, is headed to federal prison for over six years after being sentenced for her role in a cross-border methamphetamine trafficking operation. Chief United States District Court Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. handed down a 76-month sentence in Omaha on Friday, with no chance of parole. Following her imprisonment, Freemont will face a five-year term of supervised release.
The case began unfolding in March 2020 when Freemont, along with co-conspirators Pablo Leyva and Chrystian Townsley, embarked on a trip south, ultimately aiming to procure drugs in Mexico. They traveled in a truck, brazenly carrying a Diamondback Arms, Inc., DB-15 rifle – a weapon Freemont was legally prohibited from possessing due to her admitted methamphetamine and marijuana use. Arizona law enforcement intercepted them, seizing the firearm.
Undeterred, the trio pressed on towards the Mexican border, successfully entering Mexico to connect with their suppliers. They ditched the truck on the Mexican side and illegally re-entered the United States on foot, arranging a pickup by another individual. This new driver transported them back towards Nebraska, still laden with their illicit cargo.
On March 14, 2020, Kansas Highway Patrol officers stopped the vehicle near Liberal, Kansas, uncovering approximately four pounds of methamphetamine and 65 fentanyl pills concealed within five cellophane-wrapped packages. The drugs were destined for distribution, and Freemont, Leyva, and Townsley were all directly involved in the trafficking scheme. The bust effectively ended their run.
This wasn’t a small-time operation. Leyva and Townsley have already faced justice, receiving hefty sentences of 20 years and 15 years respectively for their roles in the conspiracy and the firearm violation. Federal prosecutors successfully argued that the trio acted in concert to move significant quantities of dangerous drugs across state lines and international borders.
The investigation was a multi-agency effort, spearheaded by the Drug Enforcement Administration, with crucial support from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Kansas Highway Patrol, U.S. Secret Service, Kansas Bureau of Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The Secret Service’s involvement highlights the agency’s expanding role in combating transnational drug trafficking operations that often intersect with financial crimes and border security.
Related Federal Cases
- Pablo Leyva, Methamphetamine and Fentanyl Trafficking, Nebraska 2020 · New Mexico
- Live Nation, Antitrust Lawsuit, New York NY, 2024 · Oregon
- Ticketmaster, Antitrust Violation, New York NY, 2023 · Oregon
- Live Nation Ticketmaster, Antitrust Practices, Washington 2023 · New Mexico
- Jeff Landry, Firearm Purchase Tracking, Louisiana 2024 · Kentucky
Key Facts
- Agency: U.S. Secret Service
- Category: Drug Trafficking
- Source: Official Press Release
Get the grimiest stories delivered weekly. Subscribe free
Browse More
MORE FEDERAL CRIME NEWS
Drug TraffickingDrug TraffickingDrug TraffickingDrug Trafficking