Mexican man enters guilty plea for trying to smuggle kilo of meth

Man was passenger in vehicle entering U.S.

A Mexican man faces several years in federal prison for trying to smuggle about a kilo of meth, records show.

According to court notes, Jesus Carlos Garcia Rodriguez is expected to change his not guilty plea on a drug smuggling charge to guilty later this week. He faces up to ten years in prison.

Garcia was arrested in January after he tried to hide a kilo of meth under his shirt during a traffic stop, the complaint against him stated.

“DEA agents observed one deputy talking to a male driver at the rear of the suspect vehicle, and another deputy speaking with another male by the front passenger seat who was making furtive movements and going in and out of the vehicle,” the complaint stated.

DEA agents assisted the county deputies based on safety concerns, according to the complaint.

“A DEA agent noticed a third (person) moving around in the rear passenger seat, later identified as (Garcia) and asked him to step out of the vehicle for officer safety,” the document stated.

That’s when the agent noticed Garcia’s shirt area appeared “bulgy” as he adjusted his waistband, the complaint said.

“The DEA agent conducted a weapons sweep for officer safety and immediately felt a hard object concealed in the front of Garcia’s waistband,” the document stated.

After lifting Garcia’s shirt, the agent found a clear plastic package containing a clear crystal-like substance that was later determined to be methamphetamine, the document said.

After he was arrested, Garcia told agents he knew he was transporting the meth and expected to receive roughly $500 for his role.

“…(Garcia said) he was in communication with drug traffickers in Mexico and told them that he was going to be picked up by a passenger vehicle in Hidalgo, Texas,” the document stated.

Garcia is expected to plead true to a smuggling charge as early as Tuesday, records show.