A Valley View High School student is facing serious charges after authorities found more than five pounds of cocaine hidden in his car.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers at the Pharr-Reynosa International Bridge arrested Heriberto Villarreal on federal drug charges Saturday night.
The 18-year-old high school student drove up to the bridge by himself in his Nissan Sentra around 7:30 p.m. Saturday.
During a secondary inspection, customs officers allegedly found two bundles with 5.22 pounds of cocaine hidden in secret compartments in the backseat of the car.
But court records show it’s not the first time Villarreal may have crossed illegal drugs into the United States.
A criminal complaint filed in Villarreal's case shows that Border Patrol agents at the Falfurias checkpoint found more than seven pounds of meth hidden in another car driven by him from Mexico last month.
The teen allegedly admitted to crossing drugs at least twice, both times leaving his car parked Junior’s Gas Station off Cage Boulevard in the Las Milpas area of Pharr.
Villarreal told investigators that he would leave the keys in the gas tank area, drug dealers take the load and then deposit $1,000 dollars into his Bank Of America account.
The Valley View High School student allegedly told investigators that he thought he was just delivering marijuana adding that he never knew the amount or where the drugs were actually hidden.
Court records show that customs officers caught Villarreal sending a text message to another student at Valley View High School named “Hector” during the inspection.
Villarreal claims “Hector” was not involved in smuggling but knew he was doing it because he had confided in him.
Court records show that Villarreal appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Peter Ormsby in McAllen on Tuesday morning.
Judge Ormbsy denied bond for the teen until a Friday morning hearing.
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