Source: US FBI
ST. LOUIS – A man from Phoenix, Arizona on Wednesday admitted being caught with over 58 kilograms of cocaine in a traffic stop on Interstate 44 in Phelps County, Missouri.
Rene Alejandro Valdivia-Gonzalez, 41, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one count of possession with intent to distribute at least five kilograms of cocaine. On Sept. 21, 2024, Valdivia-Gonzalez was stopped in a Mercedes Sprinter van by the Phelps County Sheriff’s Department for a traffic violation. After receiving consent to search the van, the deputy spotted an after-market compartment that had been installed to create a cavity under the original floorboards. The deputy found rectangular bricks wrapped in plastic and tape that weighed about one kilogram each. Investigators also found bricks hidden behind the dashboard. The 53 bricks contained cocaine weighing a total of 58.85 kilograms.
Valdivia-Gonzalez, who was living in Phoenix, is scheduled to be sentenced October 2. He faces at least 10 years in prison.
The Phelps County Sheriff’s Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration and the FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Finlen is prosecuting the case.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.