A Mexican citizen faces smuggling and money laundering charges after allegedly moving thousands of kilograms of methamphetamine in fire extinguishers at a Rio Grande Valley port of entry.
Special agents with Homeland Security Investigations discovered Luis Cesar Salmeron Sanchez, a former semi-truck driver, was hired by the leader of a narcotics smuggling organization to transport vehicles containing fire extinguishers laced with controlled substances between the U.S. and Mexico in exchange for compensation, according to a criminal complaint.
The organization has been under investigation since June 2019, and a man identified as Sanchez’s friend and co-worker, Oscar Castillo Ponce, was arrested by HSI in May 2019 for his alleged involvement in a drug trafficking conspiracy.
Ponce had registered two semi-trailers for the narcotics organization under his name that were later seized by HSI agents. They seized a total of 832.5 kilograms of methamphetamine, according to authorities.
Sanchez informed authorities that he was aware the organization he was working for was involved in drug trafficking and was hired to transport narcotics as well as recruit other drivers willing to smuggle drugs into the U.S.
Between Jan. 7 and Jan. 28, Sanchez imported four semi-trailers through the Los Indios port of entry, the complaint read. Each of the trailers contained fire extinguishers with narcotics concealed inside the container that he would then deliver to individuals of the narcotics organization.
On his third trip, he delivered the fire extinguishers to an individual in Hidalgo County, who gave him a large amount of U.S. money in exchange for the “narcotics-laden fire extinguisher.”
Sanchez would then return to Mexico and deliver the money to a top-ranking member of the drug trafficking organization in Reynosa.
“On March 14, 2022, CBP conducted FinCEN (Financial Crimes Enforcement Network) queries and found that Salmeron Sanchez had no records indicating that he filed any declaration of currency movement across the border,” the complaint stated.
Sanchez informed agents that he believes he had imported around 40 kilograms of cocaine or methamphetamine in each fire extinguisher, according to the complaint.
