A U.S. citizen living in Reynosa was ordered to 10 years in federal prison on Friday for drug trafficking after it was found he had nearly 50 pounds of cocaine inside his fuel tank, according to a U.S. Attorney’s Office news release.
U.S. District Judge Micaela Alvarez ordered Cesar Morales Jr., 19, to serve a 120-month sentence after he pleaded guilty on Sept. 14.
According to the release, Morales attempted to enter the U.S. through the Hidalgo port of entry in Hidalgo on July 15, when law enforcement discovered irregularities in his fuel tank during a secondary inspection.
“Authorities subsequently found 20 packages of cocaine inside the tank,” the release said.
The cocaine weighed a little over 46 pounds in total, according to the release.
Morales, who was the driver and sole occupant of the vehicle, later admitted he was importing cocaine into the country in exchange for payment.
