Stiff sentence for men caught with 282 pounds of cocaine in Edinburg

A federal judge on Thursday sentenced two men to more than 17 years in prison after authorities discovered 282 pounds of cocaine and 11 pounds of methamphetamine last year hidden inside vehicle batteries at an Edinburg residence.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas said in a news release that U.S. District Judge Micaela Alvarez handed down the sentences for Victor Hugo Gil-Martinez, 28, and Rodrigo Aguilar-Rosas, who both previously pleaded guilty to drug conspiracy charges earlier this year.

The men were arrested on Sept. 27, 2021.

“Both Gil and Aguilar admitted to receiving the narcotics-filled batteries from other individuals who smuggled them into the United States from Mexico,” the news release stated. “The men would store the narcotics-filled batteries at the residence, remove the narcotics and then transport the narcotics to other individuals across the Rio Grande Valley.”

During a search of the residence, authorities also discovered $142,000 in cash that was wrapped and packaged for smuggling into Mexico, according to the release, which said the drugs have an estimated street value of more than $3.2 million.

Both men are in the country illegally and in handing down the sentence, Alvarez noted that the sole purpose for their illegal entry was to work for a drug trafficking organization, the release said.

Both men will face deportation proceedings after serving their sentences.