Man Arrested In Traffic Stop In Carson County, With 100 Pounds Of Methamphetamine Hidden In A Recreational Vehicle, Sentenced To 10 Years In Federal Prison

AMARILLO, Texas — A California man, who had 100 pounds of methamphetamine hidden in the recreational vehicle he was driving, was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Amarillo, Texas.  Felix Lopez Vasquez, 61, of Perris, California, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Mary Lou Robinson to 10 Years in Federal Prison.  U.S. Attorney Sarah R. Saldaña of the Northern District of Texas made the announcement.

Vasquez was arrested by a Texas Department of Safety (DPS) Trooper on Interstate 40 in Carson County, Texas, on May 13, 2013.  The Trooper had stopped the vehicle, driven and owned by Vasquez, after observing a traffic violation.

Because the Trooper noticed that Vasquez seemed unusually nervous, as well as noting other suspicious circumstances, he asked Vasquez for consent to search the vehicle.  Vasquez consented and the Trooper located 45 bundles of methamphetamine, with a gross weight of 100 pounds, located in a storage area above the driver and passenger seats.

The investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the DPS.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Vicki Lamberson of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Amarillo, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Haag of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Lubbock, Texas, prosecuted.