Texas man indicted for having nine pounds of heroin

A Texas man was indicted after federal court after being arrested with nearly four kilograms of heroin, law enforcement officials said.

Adan Gilberto Munoz, 33, of El Paso, was indicted on one count of possession with intent to distribute 3,996 grams of heroin and one count of using a telephone to facilitate commission of a felony.

Munoz was arrested on Aug. 8 after being pulled over by an Ohio State Highway Patrol trooper in Medina County. Munoz told the trooper he did not have his driver’s license on him and was shaking and trembling, according to court documents.

OSHP used a canine to sniff around Munoz’s car and then searched the automobile. Troopers found four bricks of drugs that later tested to be heroin. Each brick of heroin weighed between 998 and 999 grams, according to court documents.

If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the court after reviewing factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and in most cases it will be less than the maximum.

“Law enforcement did a tremendous job of keeping thousands of doses of heroin off the streets,” U.S. Attorney Justin E. Herdman said.

“With unified efforts between federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, we will continue to combat drug trafficking and remove criminals from our communities making it safer for the citizens of Ohio,” said Colonel Paul A. Pride, Ohio State Highway Patrol superintendent.

DEA Special Agent in Charge Timothy Plancon said: “The seizure of four kilograms of heroin is significant.  In this era of daily heroin related overdoses, nothing is more important than bringing the people that are distributing this poison within our communities to justice.” 

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Marisa Darden following an investigation by the Ohio State Highway Patrol and Drug Enforcement Administration.

An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Defendants are entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.