BROWNSVILLE, Texas – A 36-year-old Brownsville man has been ordered to prison for conspiracy to distribute 15 kilograms of meth, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
Luis Alberto Gomez pleaded guilty Nov. 23, 2021.
Today, U.S. District Judge Rolando Olvera ordered him to serve 108 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by two years of supervised release.
On Jan. 27, 2021, authorities stopped Vanessa Lee Vasquez, Gomez’s girlfriend,
for a traffic violation. At that time, they searched her vehicle and found a secret compartment with 16 bundles of drugs. They contained 15.18 kilograms of meth with an approximate street value of $45,000.
Additional law enforcement at the scene observed Gomez in a grey BMW pass by the traffic scene and turn around. They followed him to a residence in Brownsville, from where he quickly departed. He attempted to flee the United States via the Veteran’s Bridge into Mexico. There, law enforcement conducted a search of his vehicle and discovered a compartment containing meth.
The investigation revealed Gomez and Vasquez crossed the port of entry from Matamoros, Taumalipas, Mexico, the day prior within two minutes of each other.
At the time of his plea, Gomez admitted he and his girlfriend had gone to Mexico to pick up the drugs. He said he saw law enforcement pull over his girlfriend, panicked and decided to flee to Mexico.
He has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of prisons facility in the near future.
Vasquez was previously sentenced on Dec. 1, 2021, also to 108 months in prison.
Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Cameron County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elena Salinas prosecuted the case.