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A Mexican citizen was arrested Thursday after surveillance conducted by the United States Homeland Security Investigations special agents revealed him dropping off two bags containing bundles of cocaine weighing nearly 74 pounds, according to a criminal complaint.
Antonio De Jesus Conde-Moreno, born in 1986, was charged with possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, namely an estimated 74 pounds of cocaine.
On June 12, Homeland Security Investigations task force officers conducting electronic and mobile surveillance observed a white tractor arriving at a property in the city of Hidalgo.
According to the complaint, that tractor had crossed into the United States from Mexico that same day with Conde-Moreno as the driver.
Conde-Moreno was observed opening the hood of the tractor and putting on a white suit which, according to the complaint, is consistent with handling narcotics.
Conde-Moreno was then seen going underneath the driver side of the tractor and eventually back up minutes later with what appeared to be a “heavy” blue bag.
He was then seen placing the bag in the rear seat of a black vehicle.
Later that same day, Conde-Moreno was seen retrieving two “heavy” bags from the backseat and placing them inside a red tractor, the complaint said.
The next day, on June 13, agents observed Conde-Moreno arrive in a small white pickup at the residence in Hidalgo followed by a black SUV whose driver met with Conde-Moreno.
He was then seen removing two large bags from the red tractor of which one appeared to be the bag that Conde-Moreno removed from underneath the white tractor from the day before, according to the complaint.
That’s when the task force officers and HSI agents approached the property and made contact with Conde-Moreno and the driver of the black SUV.
Authorities observed the two bags in the backseat in plain view, opened them up and saw what appeared to be narcotics packages.
They extracted a total of 30 packages from both bags whose contents were field tested resulting in a positive for the characteristics of cocaine.
Conde-Moreno is scheduled to appear in McAllen federal court on Tuesday for a detention hearing.
