Emma Areli Martinez-Morgado, Cocaine Importation, Texas 2015

A 52-year-old Mexican national who resided in Reynosa, Tamaulipas, Mexico, has been ordered to federal prison following her conviction of importing and possessing with intent to distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine, announced U.S. Attorney Kenneth Magidson.

Emma Areli Martinez-Morgado was found guilty by a federal jury on all four counts as charged following one day of testimony and less than two hours of deliberation on Aug. 11, 2015.

Today, Chief Judge Ricardo H. Hinojosa ordered Martinez-Morgado to serve a total of 51 months in federal prison. In handing down the sentence, Judge Hinojosa considered the quantity of the narcotics involved and the defendant’s role in committing the offense.

During trial, the jury heard that on Nov. 28, 2014, Martinez-Morgado entered the United States at the Pharr port of entry driving a Chevrolet Blazer with a spare tire underneath the vehicle that appeared to have been tampered with. She was the only occupant in the vehicle when she approached the primary inspection area.

A Customs and Border Protection officer noticed the tampered spare tire and referred Martinez-Morgado for secondary inspection. Her demeanor changed after being sent for further inspection, according to testimony.

At secondary inspection, a subsequent search of the vehicle revealed 14 bricks of cocaine concealed within the spare tire, weighing a total of 15.12 kilograms. The cocaine had a conservative value of approximately $250,000 in the Rio Grande Valley, according to testimony from an agent with Homeland Security Investigations.

Martinez-Morgado originally denied any knowledge of the drugs and claimed she owned the vehicle and used it to cross into the U.S. to go shopping at K-Mart and flea markets. However, the government presented evidence showing that Martinez-Morgado’s crossing history in that vehicle was unusual in light of the stated purpose for travel.

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