A 36-year-old Brownsville man has been sentenced to nine years in federal prison after pleading guilty to a drug smuggling charge.
Luis Alberto Gomez appeared Wednesday before U.S. District Judge Rolando Olvera who ordered him to serve 108 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by two years of supervised release, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said in a release. Gomez pleaded guilty to the charge on Nov. 23.
According to the press release, authorities on Jan. 27, 2021 stopped Vanessa Lee Vasquez, Gomez’s girlfriend, for a traffic violation. At that time, they searched her vehicle and found a secret compartment with 16 bundles of drugs, officials said. They contained 15.18 kilograms of meth with an approximate street value of $45,000.
According to a federal criminal complaint, during a post-Miranda interview Vasquez told authorities she believed she was transporting methamphetamine and that she was to travel to Houston at the direction of Gomez. She also said she was going to be paid for transporting the drug, officials said.
Additional law enforcement at the scene observed Gomez in a grey BMW pass by the traffic scene and turn around. They followed him to a residence in Brownsville, from where he quickly departed. He attempted to flee the United States via the Veteran’s Bridge into Mexico, officials said. There, law enforcement conducted a search of his vehicle and discovered a compartment containing meth, two firearms and ammunition.
The investigation revealed Gomez and Vasquez crossed the port of entry from Matamoros, Taumalipas, Mexico, the day prior within two minutes of each other, officials said.
According to the federal criminal complaint, Gomez said the drugs were going to be delivered to three separate individuals in Houston.
At the time of his plea, Gomez admitted he and his girlfriend had gone to Mexico to pick up the drugs, officials said. He said he saw law enforcement pull over his girlfriend, panicked and decided to flee to Mexico, the media release stated, officials said.
Vasquez was sentenced on Dec. 1, 2021, also to 108 months in prison.
