Woman sentenced for bringing 18 kilos of cocaine across border

McALLEN, Texas ( Border Report ) — A woman from Mission, Texas, has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for importing cocaine from Mexico at a South Texas port of entry, U.S. Attorney Alamdar Hamdani said Monday.

Brenda Bazaldua-Mariscal, 41, pleaded guilty on May 22 to drug trafficking, Hamdani said.

Law enforcement say Bazaldua-Mariscal on Aug. 12, 2021, approached the Pharr Port of Entry in a vehicle before a canine unit alerted officers to the odor of narcotics.

An inspection of the car found the front bumper lined with a “non-factory compartment containing 16 bundles of cocaine.” The drugs total 18 kilos and had an estimated street value of $234,000, Hamdani said.

She was ordered by Chief U.S. District judge Randy Crane to serve 120 months followed by five years of supervised release. In passing the sentence, Crane noted that she had previously been sentenced to five years for drug trafficking.

Sandra Sanchez can be reached at SSanchez@BorderReport.com.

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