Drug Trafficker Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Possessing With Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine

Spokane – William D. Hyslop, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, announced that Jose Manual Mendoza, age 30, of Pasco, Washington, was sentenced after having pleaded guilty on July 18, 2019, to possession with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. United States District Judge Salvador Mendoza, Jr., sentenced Jose Manual Mendoza to a 10-year term of imprisonment, to be followed by a 5-year term of court supervision after he is released from federal prison.

According to information disclosed during court proceedings, the METRO Drug Task Force and Benton County Sheriff’s Office identified Jose Manual Mendoza as he was leaving a residence in a pickup truck. At the time, Mendoza was under the supervision of the Washington State Department of Corrections (“DOC”) and there were felony warrants for his arrest. When officers initiated a traffic stop on the truck, Mendoza tried to conceal his identity by providing the officers with a false identification document and an alias name. After confirming his true identity, the officers arrested Mendoza and applied for a warrant to search his truck. While searching Mendoza’s truck, officers found a half pound of methamphetamine, two loaded 9mm firearms and a digital scale.

United States Attorney Hyslop said, “The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Washington commends the law enforcement officers with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, METRO Drug Task Force and Benton County Sheriff’s Office who investigated this case. Their seamless partnership resulted in the successful outcome of this matter. The sentence imposed by the court removes a drug trafficker from our streets and sends a clear message to others who may choose to engage in such criminal activity.

This case was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration Tri-cities Task Force, the METRO Drug Task Force, the Benton County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. This case was prosecuted by Stephanie Van Marter, an Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington.