A Matamoros man accused of smuggling more than 124 pounds of methamphetamine across a Brownsville international bridge said he was getting paid $900 to smuggle the drug, authorities said in a federal criminal complaint.
Armando Rojas, whose age is unknown, appeared Wednesday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Ronald G. Morgan, who ordered he be held without bond. His next court appearance is scheduled for Aug. 3.
According to the complaint, Rojas was driving a 2003 Ford F-150 pickup truck across the Gateway International Bridge Tuesday. His vehicle was sent to a secondary inspection area at the bridge where anomalies were found in the tires of his truck.
In addition, a U.S. Customs and Border Protection canine alerted to the presence of narcotics in the driver’s side wheel area of the truck, the complaint stated. When the officers opened the tires, they found 24 bundles of a clear substance that tested positive for methamphetamine.
During a post Miranda interview with Homeland Security Investigation agents, Rojas said he was going to be paid $900 to transport the drugs to an unknown location in the United States, according to the complaint.
Editor’s note: This story was updated to correct the suspect’s place of residence.
