BROWNSVILLE, Texas - A 29-year-old Austin woman has been sentenced for smuggling heroin through the local port of entry, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.
Lorena Garcia pleaded guilty May 8 to possession with intent to distribute more than one kilogram of heroin.
Today, U.S. District Judge Rolando Olvera ordered Garcia to serve a total of 72 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by five years of supervised release.
On Feb. 25, Garcia attempted to make entry into the United States from Mexico driving a Jeep Cherokee at the Brownsville Veterans International Bridge. Authorities referred the vehicle to secondary inspection where they discovered packages wrapped in black electrical tape in the vehicle’s firewall.
Law enforcement extracted a total of eight packages which all tested positive for the properties of heroin. The narcotics had a total weight of 7.04 kilograms and an approximate value of $253,440.
She has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and Customs and Border Protection conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Coronado prosecuted the case.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
