Mexican truck driver indicted for attempting to import $18M in methamphetamines, following HSI, federal partner investigation

LAREDO, Texas – A Mexican citizen was charged for attempting to import more than 400 kilograms of methamphetamine, following an investigation conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) with the assistance of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), June 1.

A federal grand jury returned a two-count indictment against Luis Alberto Garza Cisneros, 33. According to court documents, the complaint alleges that on May 6, Cisneros attempted to enter the country through the World Trade Bridge Port of Entry while driving a tractor trailer. CBP officers referred the vehicle to secondary inspection, at which time an x-ray allegedly revealed anomalies. Officers conducted a search and allegedly discovered approximately 413.98 kilograms of meth in 24 five-gallon buckets inside of the tractor’s diesel tanks, according to the charges. The drugs have an estimated street value of approximately $18 million.

If convicted, Cisneros faces up to life in prison and a possible $10 million maximum fine.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Bajew, Southern District of Texas, is prosecuting the case.

An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.

HSI is a directorate of ICE and the principal investigative arm of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), responsible for investigating transnational crime and threats, specifically those criminal organizations that exploit the global infrastructure through which international trade, travel, and finance move. HSI’s workforce of over 10,400 employees consists of more than 7,100 special agents assigned to 220 cities throughout the United States, and 80 overseas locations in 53 countries. HSI’s international presence represents DHS’s largest investigative law enforcement presence abroad and one of the largest international footprints in U.S. law enforcement.