MATAMOROS, TAMAULIPAS.- A 40-year-old Houston woman has been sentenced to 36 months in prison after she pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.
Authorities found 22 packages of fentanyl in the gas tank, weighing 8.7 kilograms.
Alyssa Marie Maldonado was trying to get into the United States at the Brownsville and Matamoros International Port of Entry in March 2024.
During the initial inspection, she made a negative declaration of any contraband within the vehicle and lied about her reasons for visiting Mexico, according to U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
During the second inspection, a K-9 was alerted to the rear back seat area. Authorities found 22 packages of fentanyl in the gas tank, which weighed 8.70 kilograms. She was then taken into custody.
Maldonado pleaded guilty on Oct. 16, 2024.
U.S. District Judge Fernando Rodriguez sentenced her to serve 36 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release.
Maldonado was out of jail on bond when she was sentenced. She was placed back into custody and will be in jail until she is transferred to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility.
With information from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Texas.
