A 53-year-old U.S. citizen living in the Mexican state of Tamaulipas was sentenced to 70 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to attempting to smuggle $126,500 in meth into the country.

Fernando Ramirez was arrested last December at the Hidalgo port of entry as he attempted to enter the United States from Mexico, according to a Tuesday news release from the U.S. States Attorney’s Office. 

Ramirez stated he was on his way to work before being redirected to a secondary inspection where authorities found 44 packages of meth in his gas tank.

“Ramirez eventually admitted he knew the vehicle he was driving contained drugs and that he would be paid $500 to smuggle them into the United States,” the news release stated.

During his hearing, Ramirez said he crossed “loaded vehicles several times in the past,” the release stated.

Ramirez’s sentencing will be followed by four years of supervised release, according to the news release.