A Mexican national has been sentenced to 87 months in federal prison for his role in a conspiracy involving the smuggling of over 15 kilograms of methamphetamine into the United States, according to an announcement by U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Jose Calleros Avila, 46, pleaded guilty on November 4, 2025. The sentence was handed down by U.S. District Judge John Kazen and includes three years of supervised release following his prison term.
Avila was stopped at the Colombia Solidarity Bridge in Laredo on June 1, 2025, while driving a Chevrolet Suburban. He told authorities he was returning from Matehuala, Mexico with duffel bags containing candy for his children. During a routine inspection, officials found two bundles inside one of the bags mixed with children’s candies that tested positive for methamphetamine. A further search revealed a total of 15 bundles weighing approximately 15.44 kilograms.
According to authorities, Avila intended to deliver the drugs to another person in Dallas for distribution throughout the United States. After delivering the methamphetamine, he planned to return to Dallas to collect cash and wire it to various individuals in Mexico.
Avila admitted he had transported narcotics at least five times previously in exchange for cash payments.
He will remain in custody until he is transferred to a facility operated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons.
The investigation was conducted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Homeland Security Investigations and Customs and Border Protection. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tory R. Sailer is prosecuting the case.
The U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas oversees prosecutions of federal crimes and civil cases on behalf of the government across offices located in Houston, Galveston, Corpus Christi, Laredo, McAllen and Brownsville (official website). The office employs more than 200 attorneys serving a population exceeding nine million people across 43 counties (official website). Notable former leaders include Alamdar Hamdani and Ryan Patrick (official history page).
The office operates as part of the U.S. Department of Justice under the direction of the Attorney General (official website).
