Woman sentenced to more than 5 years for attempting to smuggle black tar heroin
Heroin was concealed inside plastic toys
SAN ANTONIO — A Mexican woman was sentenced July 27 to more than five years for possession with intent to distribute heroin.
This case is being conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) with assistance from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Office of Field Office Director.
Angelica Nohemi Reyes-Vasquez, 28, from Mexico, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Jason K. Pulliam, Western District of Texas to 70 months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. Since she is not a U.S. citizen, she is expected to face deportation proceedings following her incarceration. On Jan. 21, 2020, she pleaded guilty to one count of importation of heroin.
“While some may mistakenly view smuggling controlled substances as a path to a quick profit, the sentencing of Reyes-Vasquez demonstrates that serious consequences await those who engage in criminal activity,” said HSI Special Agent in Charge Folden. “HSI will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners to protect our communities and bring drug smugglers to justice.”
According to court documents, on October 26, 2019, Reyes-Vasquez, a citizen of Mexico, arrived at the San Antonio International Airport on a flight originating from Mexico City, Mexico. While going through customs inspection, CBP officers detained Reyes-Vasquez for providing conflicting information to the officers. Reyes-Vasquez was referred to secondary inspection for further questioning. A subsequent inspection of Reyes-Vasquez’ luggage revealed three plastic toys containing approximately 5.4 kilograms of black tar heroin.
Reyes-Vasquez has been in custody since her arrest and is pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Nowinski, Western District of Texas, prosecuted the case.
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