A federal judge has sentenced a southern Arizona man to 70 months in prison after pleading guilty to conspiring to distribute liquid methamphetamine, a recent U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement news release said.
U.S. District Judge Cindy K. Jorgenson handed down the sentence to Rey Moreno-Vasquez, 52, of Douglas, will also have to serve 36 months of supervised release after he leaves prison; the release said.
“While some may mistakenly view smuggling controlled substances, and in this case, in liquid form, as a pathway to a quick profit, the sentencing of this defendant demonstrates that grave consequences await those who participate in this criminal activity,” Scott Brown, special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Phoenix, said in the release. “HSI is firmly committed to dismantling criminal organizations who blatantly ignore the laws of this nation.”
Moreno-Vasquez was arrested after an investigation by HSI with help from the Drug Enforcement Administration, the release said.
In March of 2017 in the southeastern U.S., 52 sealed beverage bottles were used to conceal a cargo of liquid methamphetamine that was being transported in a truck, the release said. HSI special agents discovered that Moreno-Vasquez was part of a scheme to bring liquid methamphetamine into the U.S. from Mexico.
"The investigation led to a second seizure in Arizona in August 2017, in which the liquid methamphetamine was being smuggled in a recreational vehicle destined for Atlanta," the release said. "The liquid methamphetamine was hidden in bottles labeled as iced tea, juice, and ginger ale. The total amount seized by law enforcement was approximately 234 kilograms."
