A Mexican citizen unlawfully in the United States was sentenced Monday in federal court in Kansas City, Kansas, to 35 years in federal prison for drug trafficking, U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said.
In July 2016, a federal court jury found Juan Antonio Herrera-Zamora, 33, guilty on one count of attempted possession with intent to sell methamphetamine, one count of possession with intent to sell methamphetamine and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.
During trial, prosecutors presented evidence that Herrera-Zamora gave instructions via telephone to two men who drove 26 pounds of methamphetamine to Kansas from Oklahoma hidden in a spare tire of their car.
Herrera-Zamora met the men at a Super 8 in Lenexa. His girlfriend accompanied him and there was a baby in the backseat of his car. He hid a gun in the baby’s diaper bag. He took the keys to the car and drove it to a tire shop in Kansas City, Kansas, where the tire was removed and cut open. He was arrested at that location.
Herrera-Zamora filed a sentencing memorandum seeking a lesser sentence and citing his upbringing in Guasave, Sinaloa, Mexico. “Mr. Herrera-Zamora comes from a low-income background and realized a great accomplishment by coming to this country when he was about thirteen years old,” the memo said.
Prosecutors cited Herrera-Zamora’s criminal record, starting with a conviction at 17 on two counts of theft and a later drug conviction, followed by twice being deported.
Beall commended the Drug Enforcement and Assistant U.S. Attorney David Zabel for their work on the case.