South Texas man admits using US government vehicle to deliver cocaine

MCALLEN, Texas — A south Texas man pleaded guilty Wednesday to possession with intent to distribute about nine kilograms of cocaine.

This guilty plea was announced by U.S. Attorney Kenneth Magidson, Southern District of Texas. This investigation was conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) with the assistance of U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Office of Inspector General (OIG), and the McAllen Police Department.

On Jan. 28, U.S. District Judge Randy Crane accepted the guilty plea of Mario Guadalupe Saenz, 27, of McAllen. Judge Crane set sentencing for April 9 in which Saenz could face a minimum of 10 years and up to life in federal prison.

According to court documents, on Oct. 9, 2014, Saenz was observed driving a white Dodge Ram with U.S. government license plates registered to USDA. Saenz drove the USDA-owned vehicle through an opening in the border fence and retrieved a bag from the brush near the Rio Grande River in Hidalgo County. He used the government vehicle to transport the bag to a business parking lot in McAllen.

He was subsequently arrested as special agents discovered the bag containing 9.39 kilograms (21 pounds) of a suspected controlled substance. A preliminary test of the evidence indicates 1.1 kilograms (2.4 pounds) tested positive for the properties of cocaine.

Saenz will remain in custody pending his hearing. 

Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen Rees, Southern District of Texas, is prosecuting this case.