A Weslaco man, Jesse James Gonzalez, has received a decade-long prison sentence for his attempt to smuggle crystal meth into the United States. On September 27, 2023, Gonzalez pleaded guilty to federal drug trafficking charges after he was caught trying to enter the U.S. at the Donna Port of Entry with a shoebox that contained crystal meth back on November 29, 2022, as per U.S. Attorney's Office.
The sentence, handed down by U.S. District Judge Micaela Alvarez, calls for Gonzalez to serve 120 months followed by five years of supervised release, the man's earlier run-ins with the law contributed to his sentence according to the details of the hearing which informed the court's decision. During the sentencing, the judge emphasized the destructive impact drug trafficking has on communities, highlighting the need to address the epidemic of narcotics in society.
Detection of the narcotics was made during an inspection process, and Gonzalez admitted to the possession of "ice," as he referred to the substances within the shoebox. The investigation was a coordinated effort by Homeland Security Investigations and Customs and Border Protection, with assistance from the Drug Enforcement Administration, according to the same press release.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Devin V. Walker prosecuted the case, with AUSA Ted Parran handling the sentencing portion of the trial.
