On Thursday, a federal court sentenced 22-year-old Ruben Martinez Martinez, a San Antonio resident previously living in Coahuila, Mexico, to 135 months in prison for smuggling over 10 kilograms of fentanyl and nearly 35 kilograms of methamphetamine into the United States.
Court documents reveal that on September 15, 2023, a Guadalupe County Sheriff’s deputy stopped Martinez on Interstate 10 for traffic violations. A license plate check showed the vehicle had crossed into Mexico on August 11, 2023, and re-entered the U.S. that morning. During questioning, Martinez gave inconsistent answers and appeared visibly nervous, prompting further investigation.
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A K9 search uncovered methamphetamine hidden in a collapsed center seat of the vehicle. A subsequent search of the vehicle’s camper shell revealed a hidden compartment in the roof. After relocating the vehicle for a detailed inspection, an X-ray scan detected bundles containing a white substance and white and blue pills. Authorities recovered 39 packages, later confirmed by lab testing to contain 34.9 kilograms of methamphetamine and 95,417 fentanyl pills.
Martinez admitted to following instructions to pick up the camper shell near Piedras Negras, Mexico, the day before the stop, with plans to deliver the narcotics to Houston for transfer to another individual.
“Fentanyl and methamphetamine have been poisoning our communities and even causing the deaths of friends, neighbors, and loved ones throughout this district and across the nation,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Margaret Leachman for the Western District of Texas. “Working with our law enforcement partners to stop the illicit trafficking of these incredibly dangerous drugs is a top priority.”
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“DEA, along with its local partner, the Guadalupe County Sheriff’s Office, successfully halted Ruben Martinez Martinez from funneling over 95,000 fentanyl pills into our communities, which could have resulted in a tragic number of deaths,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge William Kimbell for the Drug Enforcement Administration Houston Division. “These deadly doses could have shattered the lives of many families in the San Antonio area, but fortunately lives were saved.”
Martinez’s sentencing underscores the ongoing efforts of federal and local law enforcement to combat the trafficking of dangerous drugs threatening communities across Texas and beyond.
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