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A 21-year-old man who was pulled over last year in Harlingen for following another vehicle too closely, a traffic stop that resulted in the seizure of nearly 18 pounds of fentanyl and 23 pounds of methamphetamine, has been sentenced to seven years in prison.
On Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Rolando Olvera handed down the sentence for Jorge Mario Vazquez-Zuniga.
He pleaded guilty on Dec. 1.
The Texas Department of Public Safety pulled Vazquez-Zuniga over on Highway 2 for the traffic infraction, and a drug-sniffing dog alerted to the presence of narcotics, according to a criminal complaint.
Authorities found 20 bundles of meth and fentanyl hidden inside a laundry basket and inside a small ice chest.
During an interview after his arrest, Vazquez-Zuniga told investigators he planned to distribute the drugs further inside the United States, according to the complaint, which also said the man granted authorities consent to search his apartment where they found seven bundles of cocaine.
Federal court records indicate that Vazquez-Zuniga pleaded guilty to a meth charge and the government moved to dismiss an additional meth charge and a fentanyl charge, which Olvera, the judge, granted.
A news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas said Vazquez-Zuniga is not a U.S. citizen and is expected to be deported following the conclusion of his sentence.
