In Beaumont, Texas, a Mexican individual who was residing illegally in the U.S. has been handed a federal prison sentence for crimes relating to drug trafficking, as stated by U.S. Attorney Damien M. Diggs. Francisco Santana Herrera, aged 42, admitted guilt to charges of intention to distribute cocaine and has been given a sentence of 80 months in a federal prison.
The sentencing was carried out by U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone on November 21, 2024. The court was presented with the information that Herrera was apprehended for over-speeding in a construction area along Interstate 10 in Beaumont on April 10, 2024, where officers found around 16 kilograms of cocaine in his vehicle.
This case was handled jointly by the Beaumont Police Department, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, and Homeland Security Investigations/Customs Enforcement, with the prosecution carried out by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachel Grove.