A South Texas man, Adolfo Alvarez III, 40, from Rio Grande City, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for his role in cocaine trafficking. He pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute, with the sentence to be followed by five years of supervised release, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Alvarez was caught after Border Patrol intercepted his green tractor-trailer on June 28, and he claimed he was "hauling produce." A secondary x-ray inspection revealed irregularities, leading to the discovery of the narcotics, as reported by the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Authorities found about 49.5 kilograms of cocaine, hidden under the bottom mattress in a vehicle’s sleeper area. Alvarez was arrested, pleaded guilty in federal court, and is awaiting transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility. The investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration and Border Patrol, and the case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary Bird, as stated by the U.S. Attorney's Office.
