McALLEN, Texas – A 25-year-old McAllen resident has been indicted for importing dimethyltryptamine (DMT) from Brazil, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
Today, a federal grand jury returned a four-count indictment against Mario Alberto Molina. He is expected to appear before U.S. Magistrate Judge Nadia Medrano for his arraignment in the near future.
According to the complaint originally filed in the case, authorities performed a routine inspection of an inbound package originating from Brazil in Miami, Florida. It was allegedly destined for Molina’s residence in McAllen. The charges allege the package was purported to be marked as natural dye for tie-dye purposes, but authorities allegedly discovered a powdery substance later determined to be 4.5 kilograms of DMT.
On April 7, law enforcement executed a controlled delivery of the package at Molina’s residence, according to the complaint, after which they executed a federal search warrant. There, they allegedly found Molina and recovered the open package.
DMT is a powerful hallucinogenic drug, most often in the form of a powder when synthetically constructed, with intense effects comparable to that of other psychedelic drugs. It is the primary psychoactive ingredient in the drug ayahuasca and is a Schedule I controlled substance.
If convicted, Molina faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a possible $1million maximum fine.
Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with the assistance of Customs and Border Protection. Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter Brostowin is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence.
A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.