U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations announced an Arizona woman is sentenced to nearly five years in prison for smuggling fentanyl and heroin into the U.S.
According to a March 23 news release, Michelle Krystal Mendez had previously pleaded guilty to importing fentanyl into the U.S. from Mexico. The judge overseeing the case sentenced Mendez to 57 months of imprisonment, as well as three years of supervised release upon completion of her prison sentence.
“Those who continue to engage in drug smuggling with no regard for our nation’s laws will be brought to justice,” Scott Brown, special agent in charge for HSI Phoenix, said in the release. “HSI will continue to work closely with our partner agencies to combat the serious public safety threat drugs pose to our communities.”
The investigation was aided by agents of U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Mendez was reportedly caught after a CBP canine was alerted to her vehicle through the Nogales, Ariz. port of entry when she was making her way back into the U.S. from Mexico, according to the release.
The search revealed nearly five pounds of fentanyl and two pounds of heroin carefully hidden inside the battery compartment under the hood of her car, the news release reported.
