Drug trafficker to serve 10 years in jail for importing meth at Rio Grande Port

MCALLEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — A 42-year-old Illinois man has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for importing methamphetamine.

According to U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani, on July 24, 2022, Cruz Vargas, Jr. tried to enter the United States from Mexico through the Rio Grande Port of Entry with large containers loaded in his vehicle.

A narcotics detection K-9 was alerted to the vehicle, leading authorities to test the containers, which confirmed the presence of meth and weighed over 50 kilograms (110 pounds).

Vargas pleaded guilty on March 4, 2023, and admitted to transporting the drugs.

Chief U.S. District Judge Randy Crane has now ordered Vargas to serve his sentence followed by five years of supervised release.

Vargas remains in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.