ICE investigation leads to federal imprisonment of South Texas woman for meth
The woman hid the drugs in the vehicle’s gas tank
MCALLEN, Texas — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) McAllen office conducted an investigation leading to the federal prison sentence of a Rio Grande City, Texas, woman Monday following her conviction of importing 59 kilograms of meth.
U.S. District Judge Randy Crane ordered 29-year-old Alma Rosa Salinas to serve 63 months in prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. Salinas pleaded guilty Oct. 24, 2019.
“As a consequence of her drug trafficking activities, Salinas will spend the next five years in federal prison,” said Special Agent in Charge Shane Folden of ICE's HSI. “HSI will continue to ensure that individuals involved in illegal drug smuggling operations are held accountable.”
According to court documents, Salinas attempted entry into the United States Aug. 7, 2019 at the Los Ebanos Port of Entry driving a Ford F-150. She was referred to secondary inspection where a K-9 had alerted other officials to the presence of concealed narcotics. Once at the secondary inspection area, authorities found liquid meth hidden in the vehicle’s gas tank. At the time of her plea, she admitted she knew there were narcotics in her vehicle and expected to be paid money for transporting them.
Salinas will be in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Frances Blake Land of the Southern District of Texas prosecuted the case.
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