Mexican national indicted for smuggling $10,000 of cocaine behind trap door

LAREDO, Texas – A driver has been charged with conspiracy and importation of controlled substances, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

Mauricio Sebastian Valdez Rivas, 67, is in custody and expected to make his initial appearances before a U.S. magistrate judge in Laredo in the near future.

A federal grand jury returned the two-count indictment related to an alleged  failed smuggling attempt of 16.95 kilograms of cocaine from Mexico into the United States.

On Feb. 7, Rivas allegedly drove into the port of entry at the Juarez-Lincoln Bridge seeking entry into the United States. At that time. authorities performed an x-ray scan of the vehicle and noticed an anomaly near the front of the vehicle, according to the charges.

At secondary inspection, law enforcement allegedly found a trap door behind the front license plate which had a hidden compartment containing 15 bundles of cocaine.

The drugs have an estimated street value of $10,000.

If convicted, Rivas faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life in federal prison as well as up to $10 million in fines.

Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with the assistance of Customs and Border Protection. Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew P. Hakala-Finch prosecuted the case.

An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.