McALLEN, Texas (Border Report) — A 53-year-old naturalized U.S. citizen has pleaded guilty to transporting 91 pounds of liquid meth hidden in his minivan’s fuel tank as he crossed the border into South Texas, U.S. Attorney Alamdar Hamdani said Tuesday.
Manuel Ignacio Ley Villa, who lives in Mexico, was arrested on April 30 at the McAllen–Hidalgo–Reynosa International Bridge in Hidalgo, Texas, trying to cross from Reynosa, Mexico.
Authorities say an X-ray inspection of the maroon Chrysler Pacifica he was driving showed anomalies. After further inspection, law enforcement found a fuel tank filled with a liquid material that contained liquid meth with a street value of $810,000.
U.S. District Judge Micaela Alvarez has accepted the guilty plea and set sentencing for Feb. 13.
Ley Villa faces up to life in federal prison and a maximum fine of $10 million.
Sandra Sanchez can be reached at SSanchez@BorderReport.com.
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