HOUSTON – A Houston man was sentenced to 60 months in federal prison following a conviction of possession with intent to distribute a large amount of marijuana, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick on Wednesday.
Roberto Garcia Saldana pleaded guilty June 9, confessing his involvement in a marijuana stash house in Zapata, a Texas border town. In addition, U.S. District Judge Diana Saldana ordered the sentence to be followed by four years of supervised release.
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Authorities said Saldana admitted that he knew there were drugs inside the trailer and that he was storing for others.
Authorities conducted surveillance on what they suspected to be a marijuana stash house in Zapata on May 2, 2017. As law enforcement approached, Saldana had attempted to run from the rear of the residence.
He was soon apprehended.
Inside the trailer, authorities discovered 50 bundles of marijuana, totaling about 476 kilograms with an approximate value of $420,000.
Saldana has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future, officials said.
Deputy Criminal Chief Mary Lou Castillo and Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony J. Evans prosecuted the case.