Vanessa J. Hernandez, Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, Louisiana 2014

BATON ROUGE, LA – In a shocking discovery, investigators intercepted a suitcase containing 36 soda bottles filled with approximately 64 pounds of liquid methamphetamine on a commercial passenger bus in Baton Rouge on September 29, 2014.

Vanessa J. Hernandez, 34, of Houston, Texas, was traveling with the illicit substance when members of the Drug Enforcement Administration, High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force interdicted the bus. The liquid methamphetamine was found in 36 soda bottles, weighing a staggering 64 pounds.

The indictment charges Hernandez with one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, a schedule II controlled substance, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 841(a)(1). The indictment also includes a forfeiture allegation, which requires Hernandez to forfeit the proceeds of her crime if convicted.

According to the indictment, Hernandez was traveling through Baton Rouge on a commercial passenger bus when the HIDTA Task Force intercepted the bus. The investigation revealed that the defendant was carrying a suitcase filled with the illicit substance.

This matter is being handled by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Louisiana and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant United States Attorney Kevin R. Sanchez is prosecuting the case.

An indictment is an accusation by the Grand Jury, and Hernandez is presumed innocent until and unless adjudicated guilty at trial or through a guilty plea.

The significance of this case cannot be overstated. The sheer amount of liquid methamphetamine seized – 64 pounds – is a stark reminder of the ongoing battle against drug trafficking in our communities.

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