Mexico citizen sentenced in Texas after $3M in meth found hidden in cabbage shipment

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Mexican illegal alien sentenced to 11 years for smuggling 3,000 pounds of methamphetamine in truckload of cabbages following ICE Rio Grande Valley, federal partner investigation (Source: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement)

TEXAS - A 36-year-old Mexican citizen has been sentenced to 11 years in federal prison for his role in possessing with intent to distribute nearly $3 million in methamphetamine that was hidden inside a truckload of cabbages.

According to the U.S. Attorney's Office Southern District of Texas, Jose Angel Ibarra-Rojas pleaded guilty to the charges.

Meth hidden in cabbage shipment

The backstory:

In June 2024, law enforcement pulled over a tractor trailer in Pharr, TX. Ibarra-Rojas was the passenger.

During the search of the vehicle and cargo, investigators found 1,154 plastic-wrapped packages containing a crystal-like substance hidden within the cabbages in the cargo area.

Authorities learned the substance was meth and weighed 1,356 kilograms, and had a street value of more than $2.8 million.

During the trial, the court heard how the drugs were packaged. The heads of the cabbages were removed and balls of meth were then inserted into the leaves to hide them.

Ibarra-Rojas admitted he knew the trailer contained narcotics and was aware it had recently entered the United States. He said he was going to be paid $1,000 to get the trailer and drugs farther north into the United States.

Ibarra-Rojas also said he had arranged similar transports several times in the past.

District Judge Drew B. Tipton sentenced Ibarra-Rojas to serve 132 months in federal prison. 

What's next:

Because he is not a U.S. citizen, he is expected to face removal proceedings after serving his time. 

What they're saying:

"The amount of drugs smuggled in this case is staggering, but fortunately, authorities were able to seize it before it hit our streets," said U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. "ICE-HSI, CBP, and the Hidalgo County Constable’s Office should be commended for their excellent work in keeping this meth out of our community."