A man from Rio Grande City, Texas, has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute cocaine. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Adolfo Alvarez III, age 40, pleaded guilty on August 28. U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzalez Ramos handed down a sentence of 120 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release.
The case began on June 28 when law enforcement received information about a green tractor-trailer suspected of being involved in narcotics trafficking. Later that day, Alvarez drove a vehicle matching the description through the Border Patrol checkpoint near Falfurrias and told officers he was “hauling produce.”
During a secondary inspection, an x-ray scan revealed irregularities inside the vehicle. Officers searched the truck and found approximately 40 bundles of cocaine weighing a total of 49.5 kilograms hidden beneath the bottom mattress in the sleeper area.
Alvarez will remain in custody until he is transferred to a facility operated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons.
The investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration and Border Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary Bird prosecuted the case.
