Source: Office of United States Attorneys
McALLEN, Texas – A 42-year-old Illinois resident has been sentenced for importing meth, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Cruz Vargas, Jr. pleaded guilty on March 4, 2023.
Chief U.S. District Judge Randy Crane has now ordered Vargas to serve 120 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by five years of supervised release.
On July 24, 2022, Vargas tried to enter the United States from Mexico through the Rio Grande Port of Entry with large containers loaded in his vehicle. Law enforcement referred him for a secondary inspection after he claimed the containers held vitamins. A narcotics detection K-9 alerted to the vehicle, leading authorities to test the containers, which confirmed the presence of meth.
At the time of his plea, Vargas admitted to transporting drugs.
The meth weighed over 50 kilograms.
Vargas will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Homeland Security Investigations and Customs and Border Protection conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cahal P. McColgan prosecuted the case.