Two men were indicted Tuesday on federal charges of trying to smuggle more than 22 pounds of methamphetamine into Wichita, acting U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said.
Hector Daniel Vazquez, 26, Wichita, Kan., and Pedro Ruben Garibay, 28, Wichita, Kan., are charged with one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
An affidavit filed in the case alleges that on Aug. 12, 2016, a deputy with the Clark County (Kansas) Sheriff’s Office stopped a gray 2016 Volkswagen Jetta in Minneola, Kan., for a traffic violation. The officer found a .40 caliber pistol and a black gym bag containing more than 22 pounds of methamphetamine in the car. When investigators learned the methamphetamine was to be delivered to buyers in Wichita, they set up a sting operation to deliver part of the shipment. In Wichita, Vazquez and Garibay were arrested when they met the load in the parking lot of a Super 8 Motel.
If convicted, the defendants face a penalty of up to 20 years in federal prison and a fine up to $1 million. Investigating agencies include the Clark County Sheriff’s Office, the Haysville Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Wichita Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mona Furst is prosecuting.