South Texas man sentenced to nearly 22 years for transporting cocaine

MCALLEN, Texas — A South Texas man was sentenced to nearly 22 years in federal prison for possessing with intent to distribute about 84 kilograms of cocaine.

This sentencing was announced by Acting U.S. Attorney Abe Martinez, Southern District of Texas. The case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) and Kleberg County (Texas) Sheriff’s Office.

Martin Perez, 37, from Mercedes, Texas, was sentenced April 4 by Senior U.S. District Judge Janice Graham Jack to 262 months in federal prison and 10 years of supervised release. In handing down Perez’s sentence, Judge Jack noted his previous conviction of possessing with the intent to distribute marijuana in 2005 and his prior aggravated assault conviction. Perez pleaded guilty to the charges March 31, 2016.

According to court documents, on Feb. 1, 2016, Perez was driving a tractor-trailer in Kleberg County when he was stopped for a traffic violation. A search of his trailer resulted in the discovery of about 84 kilograms of cocaine hidden in a compartment in the trailer bed.

Perez has been, and will remain, in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

Assistant U.S. Attorney, Joseph Leonard, Southern District of Texas, prosecuted this case.