LAREDO, Texas - A 54-year-old legal permanent resident alien who was living in Alabama has been ordered to federal prison following his conviction of importing heroin in to the country, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Abe Martinez. Baltazar Vazquez-Vargas pleaded guilty April 4, 2017.
Today, U.S. District Judge Marina Garcia-Marmolejo sentenced him to 70 months in federal prison. Not a U.S. citizen, he is expected to face loss of his legal status and deportation proceedings following his release from prison. During the hearing, Judge Garcia-Marmolejo asked Vazquez-Vargas if he had thought about what would happen to his life before he committed the crime. Later, the defense attorney noted the defendant’s embarrassment at the situation and that his family had to see it. “This is what happens when you get involved in drug trafficking," responded Judge Garcia-Marmolejo.
On Nov. 12, 2016, Vazquez-Vargas entered the United States via the Lincoln-Juarez Bridge in Laredo as the driver and sole occupant of a grey 2007 Chevrolet Impala. At that time, he claimed ownership of the vehicle. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers discovered an anomaly in the vehicle’s battery. Upon further inspection, officers determined there was a non-factory compartment within the battery containing six bundles, the contents of which tested positive for heroin. The total combined weight was approximately 3.05 kilograms.
Vazquez-Vargas stated that he had recently purchased the Impala and an individual in Georgia had hired him to transport the heroin from Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, to Peachtree City, Georgia, for $5,000. While in Nuevo Laredo, people he did not know changed out the existing battery for another one containing the heroin. He admitted knowing there were narcotics in the battery.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and CBP conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Bukiewicz is prosecuting the case.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
