Reported / Citable
DEL RIO, Texas – A Houston man was sentenced in a federal court in Del Rio to 30 years in prison for trafficking methamphetamine into the United States from Mexico, announced U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas.
According to court documents, Yobany Vega, 25, attempted to enter the U.S. through Eagle Pass Camino Real Bridge 2 on Dec. 6, 2024. Customs and Border Protection Officers noticed a non-factory compartment during secondary inspection and discovered 41 bundles hidden in the vehicle. Further inspection revealed that the bundles contained 40.5 kgs of 100% purity level methamphetamine.
Vega was arrested on Dec. 6, 2024. He pleaded guilty on Sept. 19, 2025, to all four counts of his indictment, which included conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, conspiracy to import methamphetamine, and importation of methamphetamine. U.S. District Judge Ernest Gonzalez presided over the case.
Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph Duarte II and Nallely Duarte prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America , a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
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Source: U.S. Attorney’s Office — Western District of Texas — U.S. Department of Justice press release.