Texas man gets 11 years for conviction of smuggling meth across border inside truck tires
Abiel Geronimo Fernandez, 20, was arrested a day before the drug bust for allegedly smuggling illegal immigrants into the United States, a federal judge said
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A Texas man has been sentenced to 11 years in prison after being caught at a border checkpoint trying to smuggle drugs inside the tires of his pickup truck.
Abiel Geronimo Fernandez, 20, of Rio Grande City, was handed down the prison term in a federal courtroom after pleading guilty to smuggling methamphetamines from Mexico via the Rio Grande City Port of Entry.
On Nov. 28, Fernandez was driving a Chevrolet Silverado truck when U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents referred him for a secondary inspection. It was then discovered that he had 24 bricks of methamphetamine in all four tires, authorities said.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}BORDER PATROL COUNCIL VP SOUNDS THE ALARM ON NUMBER OF KNOWN GOTAWAYS AT THE BORDER
A suspect tried to smuggle 24 bricks of methamphetamines across the Texas-Mexico border inside the tires of a pickup truck, authorities said. (U.S. Customs and Border Protection )
In total, more than 59 kilograms of drugs were found.
A federal judge noted that Fernandez had been arrested the day before the drug bust for smuggling undocumented immigrants.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"Today’s sentence imposed sends a clear message to criminal organizations that there are serious consequences for trafficking narcotics," said Alejandro Amaro, acting special agent in charge of HSI San Antonio.