Edinburg man to serve 16 years for meth trafficking

MCALLEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — An Edinburg man has been sentenced to prison following his conviction of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 200 kilograms of methamphetamine, the U.S. Department of Justice announced.

U.S. District Chief Judge Randy Crane ordered Daren Lynn Lopez, 51, to serve 16 years in federal prison, immediately followed by three years of supervised release.

Lopez pleaded guilty on November 16, 2022.

At the hearing, the court heard of Lopez’s criminal history including three prior felonies. In handing down the sentence, the court noted the additive, potent, and dangerous effects meth has on the community.

The Department of Justice said in March 2022, Lopez arranged for the transportation of a tractor-trailer concealing the meth to be imported from Mexico. The trailer successfully entered the U.S. and was driven to Lopez’s truck yard in Edinburg.

Lopez then coordinated and hired a driver to transport the trailer to Dallas. Police intervened, stopped, and seized the trailer on its way north. They discovered a false compartment spanning the entire roof of the trailer which concealed hundreds of bricks of meth.

The drugs have an estimated street value of $1 million.

Lopez will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined.