Mexican national indicted for trafficking cocaine and heroin into the U.S.

LAREDO, Texas – A 36-year-old resident of Guadalupe, Nuevo Leon, Mexico, has been charged with trafficking more than 12 kilograms of cocaine and nearly five kilograms of heroin and conspiracy to do so, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

A federal grand jury has now returned the four-count indictment against Albing Pablo Rivera-Leal.

In custody since his arrest on a criminal complaint originally filed in the case, he will appear for his arraignment before a U.S. magistrate judge in the near future.

According to the criminal complaint originally filed in the case, authorities stopped Rivera-Leal April 5 for a traffic violation on I-35 north in Laredo. They conducted a search of the vehicle and allegedly found indications of tampering under the rear seats in the vehicle. The charges also allege a K-9 conducted a free air sniff and detected controlled substances in his car.

Upon further inspection, law enforcement allegedly found several packages of cocaine and heroin concealed in a secret compartment inside the cabin of the vehicle. The charges allege the packages contained approximately 12 kilograms of cocaine and 4.5 kilograms of heroin.

If convicted, Rivera-Leal faces up to life in prison and a $5 million fine.

The Texas Department of Public Safety conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorney Bryan L. Oliver is prosecuting 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.