A Texas man was ordered to federal prison this month, convicted of trying to smuggle crystal meth into the United States using tacos, according to Acting U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
Nicolas Castro Jr., 31, of Laredo, Texas will serve an 87-month sentence followed by five years of supervised release.
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On Sept. 8, 2020, Castro attempted to enter the United States at the Gateway to the Americas Bridge in Laredo. Authorities inspected his belongings and a K-9 drew officers’ attention to a plastic bag containing tacos and chips, according to a release. Castro told officers it was his lunch.
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Authorities inspected Castro’s belongings and found a plastic bag with tacos and chips. Castro claimed the food was for his lunch. The bag tested positive for meth.
Castro eventually told authorities he knew the tacos contained a kilogram of drugs and said he expected to be paid $1,500 to transport the drugs to Austin, according to the release.
The Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation with the assistance of Customs and Border Protection. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Bajew prosecuted the case.
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