Drug Trafficker Sentenced to 10 Years for Transporting Over 13,000 Pounds of Marijuana into the United States

     TUCSON, Ariz. – On Dec. 11, 2018, Enrique Valencia-Lopez was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Jennifer G. Zipps to ten years in prison. A jury previously found Valencia-Lopez guilty of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 1,000 kilograms or more of marijuana, possession with intent to distribute marijuana, conspiracy to import marijuana, and importation of marijuana.

     In May 2017, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the Mariposa Port of Entry in Nogales, Ariz. discovered and seized hundreds of wrapped bundles containing marijuana from the commercial tractor-trailer Valencia-Lopez drove into the United States. The bundles in total weighed over 13,000 pounds.

     Homeland Security Investigations and U.S. Customs and Border Protection conducted the investigation. The prosecution was handled by Corey J. Mantei and David P. Savel, Assistant U.S. Attorneys, District of Arizona, Tucson.

CASE NUMBER:          CR-17-00894-TUC-JGZ

RELEASE NUMBER:    2018-167_ Valencia-Lopez

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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az