Texas Panhandle man sentenced to 17 ½ years in federal prison for distributing methamphetamine

AMARILLO, Texas — A Texas Panhandle man was sentenced Wednesday by U.S. District Judge Sidney A. Fitzwater to 17 ½ years in federal prison for distributing methamphetamine,

This sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Erin Nealy Cox, Northern District of Texas. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the Texas Department of Public Safety (TXDPS).

Eduardo Gutierrez-Zamora, 31, of Amarillo, Texas, pleaded guilty in June 2017 to one count of conspiracy to distribute or possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. He has been in custody since Jan. 8, 2017, on a related criminal complaint. Gutierrez-Zamora was illegally present in the United States at the time of the offense; he will be deported after he completes his prison sentence.

According to the plea agreement factual resume filed in the case, on Jan. 7, 2017, TXDPS received information from the Arizona state police troopers that they stopped a vehicle for a traffic violation and the narcotic detection canine alerted to the vehicle. The on-site trooper located eight bundles of suspected methamphetamine in the vehicle. Arizona officers informed TXDPS that the driver was willing to cooperate with law enforcement and deliver the methamphetamine to the intended recipient, Gutierrez-Zamora, in Amarillo, Texas.

The driver called Gutierrez-Zamora and was instructed to deliver the methamphetamine to him at his residence. Once the delivery was made, agents executed a search warrant at the residence and located the methamphetamine delivered and additional narcotics.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Frausto, Northern District of Texas, prosecuted this case.