A U.S. citizen residing in Matamoros, Mexico was sentenced to federal prison for attempting to smuggle narcotics at the Brownsville port of entry, according to U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.

Javier Eduardo Vicencio, 22, pleaded guilty on Aug. 24, 2023. He was ordered to serve 4 years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release.

Hamdani said during the sentencing, it was revealed that Vicencio had committed at least five other successful drug crossings.

The incident occurred on May 2, 2023.

Vicencio drove into the United States through the Gateway Port of Entry in a Chevy Cobalt bearing Mexican license plates.

Hamdani said during initial inspection, Vicencio denied possessing narcotics or illegal contraband. Authorities noticed he appeared nervous and referred him to a secondary inspection.

Authorities then noticed "anomalies" in the side passenger fire wall, which resulted in the discovery of 35.4 pounds of cocaine.

Hamdani said Vicencio claimed his family owned the car for about 10 years, and he was "trying to help them". He said he was crossing the border with cocaine and would receive payment of $1,000 per trip for delivery to others in the Brownsville area.

Vicencio was arrested and is pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility.