CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 32-year-old McAllen resident has been ordered to federal prison following his conviction of conspiring with the intent to distribute more than seven kilograms of meth, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
Alberto Velasquez pleaded guilty Nov. 29, 2021.
Today, U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos ordered Velasquez to serve 180 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by 10 years of supervised release. In handing down the sentence, the court noted Velasquez had been previously convicted of conspiring to possess with the intent to distribute more than 105 kilograms of marijuana in 2009.
The conspiracy began in June 2020. Velasquez had purchased a Honda CRV and modified the vehicle by constructing a hidden compartment behind the front license plate to conceal the presence of narcotics. He and his co-conspirators later traveled to Mexico and loaded the vehicle with multiple kilograms of pure meth before importing it into the United States through the checkpoint located in Falfurrias.
However, in August 2020, a service canine alerted to Velasquez’s vehicle and authorities discovered more than seven kilograms of pure meth concealed within the hidden compartment.
Velasquez has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation with assistance of BP. Assistant U.S. Attorney Roland Swanson prosecuted the case.
Roland Swanson prosecuted the case.