A 42-year-old resident of Illinois has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for importing methamphetamine, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. Cruz Vargas Jr., who pleaded guilty to the charges on March 4, 2023, will serve his sentence for this offense.
Chief U.S. District Judge Randy Crane has handed down a sentence, ordering Vargas to spend 10 years in prison. In addition, Vargas will be subject to five years of supervised release. This decision comes after an incident that took place on July 24, 2022. Vargas tried to enter the United States from Mexico through the Rio Grande Port of Entry. Suspicion arose when Vargas claimed that the large containers in his vehicle contained vitamins. As a result, law enforcement referred him for a secondary inspection.
A K-9 trained in detecting narcotics detected the presence of methamphetamine in the vehicle, prompting authorities to conduct tests. Vargas, who pleaded guilty, acknowledged that he was responsible for transporting more than 50 kilograms of drugs. He will be held in custody until his transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility, the location of which will be determined soon.
Homeland Security Investigations and Customs and Border Protection conducted the investigation, while Assistant U.S. Attorney Cahal P. McColgan handled the prosecution of the case.
