A Harlingen man was given a 20 year prison sentence for being the leader of a group trying to smuggle more than 23 pounds of methamphetamine through a Laredo international bridge.
Alfredo Aguilar Jr. was found guilty on Sept. 6, 2018 during a trial before U.S. District judge Hilda G. Tagle. On Tuesday, Tagle sentenced Aguilar to 240 months in prison. He must also serve 10-years of supervised release once his prison sentence is completed.
The judge also sentenced his co-defendents, Cristen Nicole Cano, 29, of Combes, and Cristal Hernandez, 23, of San Benito, to five years in prison. Cano and Hernandez must serve two-year and five-year terms of supervised release, respectively.
On May 15, 2018, all three walked across the Gateway to the Americas International Bridge in Laredo. The two women were carrying bags of groceries, including four cans of jalapeños and hominy.
Federal agents realized the cans were heavier then anticipated and during a secondary inspection it was determined they were not filled with jalapenos and hominy, but instead methamphetamine.
Agents learned Aguilar had recruited Cano and Hernandez to smuggle the drugs into the United States.
Aguilar and Cano have been in custody since their arrest and will now be transferred to federal prisons. Hernandez remains free on bond and has been ordered to surrender to a federal prison.
