Mexican National Charged For Possession With Intent To Distribute Heroin After Traffic Stop

LAS VEGAS, Nev. – A Mexican national who illegally crossed the border to enter the United States was charged with possession with intent to distribute nearly 10 pounds of heroin after a traffic stop along US-93, announced United States Attorney Nicholas A. Trutanich for the District of Nevada.

Mario Alberto Bojorquez-Manrique, 27, was charged in a criminal complaint with one count of possession with intent to distribute heroin.

As alleged, on June 10, 2019, a Nevada Highway Patrol trooper observed a northbound car driving in an unsafe manner on US-93. During a traffic stop, Bojorquez-Manrique was identified as the driver and gave consent to search the vehicle. A narcotics K9 alerted the trooper to the dash area of the car. During a hand search of the car, a socket driver with a socket were found on the passenger side floorboard. The trooper noticed some finger prints and tooling marks on the bolts securing the wiper cover to the car. Six foil wrapped packages of heroin weighing approximately 9.6 pounds were recovered from the vehicle. Law enforcement located Bojorquez-Manrique’s notebook in the car containing entries for over a dozen narcotic runs he has made, as well as the recorded dollar amounts of the transactions.

The maximum penalty is life imprisonment with a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years.

The case was investigated by Drug Enforcement Administration, the Nevada Highway Patrol, and the North Las Vegas Police Department.

 A criminal complaint merely contains an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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