A man from Rio Grande City, Texas, has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute cocaine. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Adolfo Alvarez III, age 40, pleaded guilty on August 28. U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzalez Ramos sentenced him to 120 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release.
The case began on June 28 when law enforcement received information about a green tractor-trailer suspected of involvement in drug trafficking. Later that day, Alvarez drove a vehicle matching the description through the Border Patrol checkpoint near Falfurrias and claimed he was transporting produce.
During a secondary inspection, an x-ray revealed irregularities in the vehicle. Officers searched the truck and found approximately 40 bundles of cocaine weighing 49.5 kilograms hidden under the bottom mattress in the sleeper area. The packages were wrapped in black tape.
Alvarez will remain in custody until he is transferred to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility.
The Drug Enforcement Administration and Border Patrol conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary Bird prosecuted the case.
