Alabama man convicted in Texas of importing methamphetamine

MCALLEN, Texas — An Alabama man was convicted Friday for his role in importing and possessing with intent to distribute about 16 kilograms of methamphetamine, announced U.S. Attorney Kenneth Magidson, Southern District of Texas.

This conviction resulted from an investigation conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), with assistance from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Office of Field Office Director.

James Marcus Malone, 42, of Boaz, Alabama, was convicted on all four counts as charged following two days of testimony.

According to court documents, on March 20, Malone entered the U.S. at the Hidalgo, Texas Port of Entry, driving a Chevrolet Tahoe with Alabama license plates. Authorities soon determined he was linked to another vehicle and an individual who subsequently arrived at the same Port of Entry just a few minutes later. The second vehicle, a Dodge Ram pickup truck, was driven by a man who presented an Alabama driver’s license. At the primary inspection area, CBP made initial contact with Malone and noticed he appeared nervous and incoherent when responding to questions regarding the purpose of his trip into Mexico. The officer then referred Malone to secondary inspection.

Malone denied knowing the other individual in the Dodge Ram pickup who was also from Alabama. During a subsequent search of the Dodge Ram, CBP officers discovered about 16 kilograms of methamphetamine concealed within the muffler.

The jury also heard that Malone eventually admitted, during a post-Miranda interview, to knowing the other man from Alabama but claimed he was only dropping him off in Mexico to visit a recently deported girlfriend.  Malone further stated during that interview that he assumed his travel companion was transporting narcotics, but that he forced himself to believe the story concerning the girlfriend and did not want full details.

However, the government presented evidence showing that Malone drove a group of conspirators from Alabama all the way to Reynosa for the purpose of picking up the Dodge Ram which was loaded with the narcotics. There was also evidence to suggest Malone, along with other conspirators, fabricated the story regarding the recently deported girlfriend in an attempt to ward off attention from law enforcement at the Port of Entry. An HSI special agent testified that phone records proved Malone was in constant communications with a conspirator waiting for the load of narcotics to arrive in the Houston area prior to continuing back to Alabama.

Sentencing has been set for Dec. 17. At that time, Malone faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life in federal prison and a possible $10 million fine on each count of conviction. He will remain in custody pending that hearing.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alex Benavides and Michael Day, Southern District of Texas, are prosecuting the case.