A 45-year-old U.S. citizen, Jimmy Vasquez Gonzalez, has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for smuggling more than 10 kilograms of cocaine into the United States from Mexico. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Gonzalez, who resided in Mexico, pleaded guilty on September 2, 2025. U.S. District Judge John A. Kazen ordered that Gonzalez’s sentence be followed by five years of supervised release.
On May 3, 2025, Gonzalez entered the United States through the Lincoln Juarez Bridge in Laredo while driving a Ford Edge with Walter Diaz Nino as his passenger. After providing a negative declaration at the port of entry, authorities detected an anomaly during a preliminary examination of the vehicle.
A secondary inspection involving a K-9 led to the discovery of 15 bundles hidden within the floorboard of the backseat; field tests confirmed these contained cocaine.
Gonzalez told officials they were traveling to Houston to pick up his sister and take her to see their dying grandmother. However, investigators determined this story was false and that neither relative nor girlfriend was in Houston as claimed. Instead, both men intended to deliver narcotics.
According to authorities, Nino expected payment of $4,500 upon returning to Mexico and had promised Vasquez a share of those proceeds. The seized cocaine weighed over 10 kilograms and had an estimated street value exceeding $140,000.
Further investigation revealed this was not their first attempt at smuggling drugs across the border.
Nino, a 41-year-old Mexican citizen with a visa permitting entry into the United States, also pleaded guilty and previously received a sentence of nearly eleven years in federal prison. He is expected to face removal proceedings after serving his term.
Both individuals remain in custody following their convictions.
The case was investigated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations and Customs and Border Protection. Assistant U.S. Attorney Manuel A. Cardenas Jr. prosecuted the case.
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