ALPINE, Texas —
UPDATE: (The above video is from an earlier coverage of the story) According to a press release from Texas Department of Justice, in a federal court in Alpine, 33-year-old Cherakee Lee Perez was sentenced to 14 years in prison for possessing methamphetamine and fentanyl with intent to distribute.
According to court documents, Perez provided a negative declaration during a Customs and Border Patrol vehicle inspection at the Presidio Port of Entry from Mexico into the U.S. A narcotic detection canine discovered more than three dozen packages hidden in the vehicle. 29 of packages contained approximately 4.5 kilograms of methamphetamine, while the other 13 contained seven kilograms of fentanyl. Perez admitted to transporting the drugs for a drug trafficking organization.
“The sentencing of Perez should serve as a warning to drug trafficking organizations and the individuals who attempt to transport drugs into the U.S. on their behalf,” said U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza of the Western District of Texas. “Along with our law enforcement partners, we will continue to disrupt and dismantle these organizations.”
“This HSI investigation demonstrates that we stand ready to aggressively investigate criminals who profit from distributing dangerous drugs, contributing to the devastating opioid epidemic in our country,” said Special Agent in Charge Francisco B. Burrola of the Homeland Security Investigations El Paso Division. “This sentence ensures one fewer person is out on the streets poisoning our community.”
HSI investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Greenbaum prosecuted the case.
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A Presidio County woman is facing a possible life sentence after pleading guilty in federal court Tuesday to one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl.
According to court documents, Cherakee Lee Perez, 33, lied about having drugs during a Customs and Border Patrol vehicle inspection at the Presidio Port of Entry from Mexico into the U.S.
A CBP dog discovered more than three dozen packages hidden in the vehicle.
29 of those packages contained approximately 4.5 kilograms of methamphetamine, and 13 more contained seven kilograms of fentanyl.
Perez now faces a sentence of 10 years to life in prison. She is scheduled for sentencing on Oct. 23.
This is all the information we currently have. We will update this story if more details are released.