Three individuals from San Antonio have been handed prison sentences after pleading guilty to drug conspiracy charges, the U.S. Attorney's Office reported.
Lucille Nicole Mendoza, 43; Debra Ann Sauceda, 54; and Julian Santiago Espinoza Jr., 32 were arrested for trying to smuggle approximately five kilograms of methamphetamine across the border. The trio faced the law's reckoning after they were apprehended at the Pharr Port of Entry on May 31, 2020, hid the illicit substance in a vehicle's battery, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office report.
Following their guilty pleas on January 5, 2022, Chief U.S. District Judge Randy Crane decreed prison terms of 70 months for both Mendoza and Espinoza, while Sauceda received a slightly lesser sentence, of 60 months. Each will also be under supervised release for three years after their prison terms end.
The investigation brought forth by Homeland Security Investigations led to the resolution of the case. The prosecution was spearheaded by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Phelps. Currently, the convicted parties are awaiting transfer to a federal prison, details of which have yet to be disclosed publicly, the U.S. Attorney's Office states.
