Mexican national sentenced to 17+ years for smuggling meth in propane tanks
(Photo by Bernd Wüstneck/picture alliance via Getty Images)
DEL RIO, Texas - A Mexican national was sentenced in a federal court in Del Rio, Texas to 17.5 years in prison for importing 163 kgs of liquid methamphetamine from Mexico into the United States.
Drug smuggling plot revealed at Port of Entry
What we know:
According to court documents, on June 5, 2022, 51-year-old Paul Ivan Palmero-Martinez arrived at the Eagle Pass Port of Entry driving a Ford F350 tow truck. He stated that he was traveling from Piedras Negras, in Mexico, to San Antonio to purchase motorbikes for his business in Mexico, and that he had nothing to declare.
An illegal migrant found smuggled in a vehicle is apprehended by US Border Patrol and the Webb County Sheriff on October 12, 2022 in Laredo, Texas. (ALLISON DINNER/AFP via Getty Images)
U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers (CBPO) directed Palmero-Martinez to secondary inspection, where he stated he was traveling to San Antonio to purchase an engine.
Propane tank concealment, K9 alert
Ferrellgas Partners LP propane tanks sit outside a business during a delivery in Louisville, Kentucky, U.S., on Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2016. Ferrellgas is scheduled to release earnings figures on September 28. Photographer: Luke Sharrett/ Bloomberg
What they're saying:
A CBPO opened the back trunk of Palmero-Martinez’s truck and located two large propane tanks that looked and smelled as if they were recently painted. A K9 was alerted to the smell of narcotics.
Further inspection revealed anomalies in the propane tanks, which were then cut open to reveal six large packages of methamphetamine with a total weight of 168.2 kgs.
Federal conviction, smuggling tactics
Palmero-Martinez told ICE Homeland Security Investigations agents that a co-conspirator was supposed to pay him for transporting the meth to San Antonio. He further admitted that he had previously transported the F350 from Mexico to San Antonio through the Del Rio Port of Entry to establish a crossing history and that he received $800 from the co-conspirator for doing so.
What's next:
Following his arrest, Palmero-Martinez was charged with a four-count indictment. He pleaded guilty to one count on Sept. 19, 2022.
ICE HSI investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brett Miner prosecuted the case.
The Source: Information in this article was provided by the U.S. Attorney's Office in the Western District of Texas.