70-year-old woman convicted of trafficking nearly 200 pounds of Marijuana
CORPUS CHRISTI - A 70-year-old woman was convicted of trafficking nearly 200 pounds of marijuana with the intent to distribute according to U.S Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
The Department of Justice states that Diana Vela drove a Ford Fusion sedan into the primary inspection area of the Border Patrol checkpoint near Falfurrias on September 11, 2022.
A service K-9 alerted the presence of narcotics in the car. When authorities asked for permission to search, Vela told officers she had drugs in the trunk.
Authorities say that when they opened the trunk, they found 10 large vacuum-sealed bundles of marijuana weighing about 200 pounds.
During the investigation, laboratory analysis confirmed that the substance was in fact marijuana and had an estimated street value of $1 million.
The U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos will impose sentencing on April 12th. Vela will face up to 40 years in prison as well as a maximum of $1 million fine. Vela was permitted to remain on bond pending the hearing.
The Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Border Patrol and Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Marck and Robert D. Thorpe Jr. are prosecuting the case.
