ALPINE A Mexican national was sentenced in a federal court in Alpine to 70 months in prison for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.
According to court documents, Erick Botello Reyes, 21, attempted to enter the United States from Mexico at the Presidio Port of Entry on April 2. Upon inspection of his vehicle, a Customs and Border Protection K-9 alerted CBP Officers of a possible narcotics presence inside the vehicle’s dashboard. The officers searched the vehicle, locating 9.4 kilograms of cocaine and 347.3 grams of fentanyl. Reyes was then taken into custody. He pleaded guilty on June 29 to one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.
“Cutting off these trafficking attempts disrupts the activities of cartels and other drug trafficking organizations,” said U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza for the Western District of Texas in a press release. “In coordination with our federal, state and local partners, my office continues to hold accountable the individuals who bring fentanyl into the country and carelessly poison our communities.”
“The sad truth is that the fentanyl epidemic in our communities continues to claim so many lives and it’s utterly unacceptable,” Special Agent in Charge Francisco B. Burrola of the HSI El Paso Division said in the release. “HSI remains committed to investigate and ultimately dismantle drug smuggling organizations who attempt to smuggle and peddle deadly drugs in our communities. This sentence will give ample time for the defendant to think about his criminal activity behind bars.”
HSI investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Amy Greenbaum and Matthew Ellis prosecuted the case.
