A 29-year-old Edinburg woman was sentenced to five-and-one-half years in prison on Friday after being caught trying to smuggle more than 50 pounds of heroin, according to a news release.
In a news release, the United States Attorneys Office for the Southern District of Texas said Amanda Zaragoza pleaded guilty to the charges on July 29, 2021.
The value of the approximately 55 pounds of heroin is valued at more than $827,000, according to the news release.
During a sentencing hearing in front of U.S. District Judge Micaela Alvarez, the judge heard additional evidence that Zaragoza had previously been involved with successful drug trafficking incidents, had extensive contacts with a drug trafficking organization and she has significant mental health and substance abuse issues.
“In handing down the sentence, the court noted that she played a significant part in the movement of controlled substances into the United States from Mexico,” the news release states.
Authorities arrested Zaragoza on May 17, 2021 at the Pharr port of entry where she arrived in a gray Volkswagen sedan.
While at the bridge, a drug-sniffing dog alerted to the vehicle’s tires where an X-ray inspection revealed anomalies in the tires where U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers found the heroin.
