A Mexican truck driver has been accused of trying to smuggle 120 gallons of liquid methamphetamine into his car’s gas tanks in the United States. The market value of the drug is estimated at $18 million.
Luis Alberto Garza Cisneros, 33, was scheduled to appear before US Justice of Peace Diana Song Quiroga for a trial hearing on Tuesday, but his lawyers gave a waiver and pleaded not guilty. He plans to remain in custody without bail. Garza’s name appeared in the number two indictment filed by a federal grand jury last week.
Court documents show that the case against Garza began in early May when he tried to drive a tractor trailer on an international bridge in Laredo. In a second inspection, US Customs and Border Protection officers scanned the truck using X-ray equipment and found two buckets of 120 gallons of liquid methamphetamine hidden in the vehicle’s fuel tanks. The drugs have an estimated weight of over 910 pounds and are valued at $18 million.
Court documents show that, during interrogation by federal agents, Garza admitted to drug trafficking to help his cousin pay off his organized crime debt in Mexico. Court documents do not specify who owes the debt, but the border with the Mexican town of Nuevo Laredo is controlled by the cartel’s Del Noreste Los Zetas group.
According to the US Attorney’s Office, Garza could face a minimum of 10 years in prison if found guilty on the charges. Garza was not a US citizen, so he faced deportation following his sentence.
Source: Breitbart
