Southwest Texas man sentenced to nearly 16 years in federal prison

DEL RIO, Texas — A southwest Texas man was sentenced Wednesday to 15 years and eight months in federal prison for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

This sentence resulted from an investigation conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

Jesus Rios, 47, from Uvalde, was sentenced April 30 to 188 months in prison. U.S. District Judge Alia Moses also ordered Rios to serve five years of supervised release. Rios pleaded guilty to the charges Sept. 5, 2013.

"While some may mistakenly view smuggling and trafficking in narcotics as a path to a quick profit, this sentencing demonstrates that serious consequences await those who engage in this criminal activity," said Special Agent in Charge Janice Ayala, HSI San Antonio. "HSI will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners to bring narcotics traffickers to justice."

According to court documents, on March 18, 2013, HSI special agents executed a federal search warrant at Rios’s residence. They seized methamphetamine, marijuana, and a variety of pain pills like hydrocodone. Rios was arrested three days later without incident.

This case was prosecuted by the Del Rio Branch Office of the Western District of Texas.