Phoenix man sentenced to 20 years for heroin smuggling

PHOENIX — A Phoenix man was sentenced Monday to 20 years in federal prison for importing $400,000 of heroin with the intent to distribute it in the United States. The case was investigated jointly by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).

Miguel Quintero, 23, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Stephen M. McNamee to 240 months of imprisonment. Quintero was convicted Oct. 20 by a federal jury.

Trial evidence showed that Quintero had more than six kilograms of heroin hidden in the drive shaft of his vehicle when he attempted to enter the United States through the San Luis, Ariz. port of entry. Despite Quintero's testimony that the heroin was placed in his car by either an auto mechanic or at the direction of a woman he was dating in Mexico, the jury found him guilty on both counts.