A court sentenced a McAllen woman to more than three years in prison for her role in an attempt to smuggle a large quantity of cocaine into the U.S., records show.
On Friday, federal District Judge Micaela Alvarez handed down a 40-month prison sentence for Yesmin Corona, 38, of McAllen, who was arrested last February attempting to enter the United States from Mexico after a search revealed multiple wrapped packages of cocaine, the criminal complaint stated.
Corona, during her attempt to enter the country, told U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers that she was headed to McAllen to pick up her daughter, the complaint stated.
“At primary inspection Corona stated to a (CBP officer) she was traveling from Reynosa, Mexico to pick up her daughter in McAllen, Texas,” the document stated. “During post primary inspection, a CBPO canine ‘Miso’ alerted to the undercarriage of the vehicle.”
After being alerted to possible controlled substances, CBP officers eventually discovered hidden packages after an X-ray scan revealed anomalies under the carriage of the vehicle.
Subsequently officers removed the backseat of Corona’s vehicle and noticed “tampering,” in the gas pump area, the record shows.
The gas pump was removed and officers found 10 bundles of what was later determined to be cocaine. In total, officers found 11.2 kilograms of cocaine hidden inside Corona’s vehicle.
“Three of the bundles had the name “Corona” written inside the inner wrappings of the bundles,” the document stated.
While in custody, Corona allegedly admitted to investigators that she thought she had “narcotics” in the vehicle.
The McAllen woman originally pleaded not guilty to the charges against her, but on Sept. 23, 2020, she agreed to plead guilty to count 2 against him, import of a controlled substance. In exchange, the government agreed to dismiss two conspiracy charges, and one distribution charge, records show.
In addition to the 40-month prison sentence, the court imposed a three-year supervised release term for Corona.
