MCALLEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — A man was sentenced to nearly four years in prison for attempting to smuggle cocaine to the United States.
David Martinez-Garza was convicted of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance and illegal importation of a controlled substance, according to a criminal complaint.
On Feb. 18, 2023, a U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer at the Anzalduas Bridge referred Martinez, who was accompanied by his wife and child, to undergo a secondary inspection. A K-9 unit discovered an ice chest in the bed of the vehicle.
Officers say they found 10 packages of cocaine concealed inside the vehicle’s dashboard and three packages inside the walls of an ice chest. Combined the drugs weighed 30 pounds.
Martinez, who is a Mexican citizen, admitted to Homeland Security Investigations that he was paid $900 to smuggle the drugs from Mexico to the United States.
On Nov. 9, Chief U.S. District Judge Randy Crane sentenced Martinez to 46 months in prison.
