A federal jury in Alabama has convicted a Texas woman after she was found with nearly 6 kilograms of heroin during a traffic stop.
Melissa Vasquez-Guardado, 25, was found guilty Tuesday of possession of heroin with intent to distribute, according to a Wednesday announcement by Middle District of Alabama U.S. Attorney Sandra J. Stewart.
Vasquez-Guardado was stopped July 27, 2021, by Butler County sheriff’s deputies on Interstate 65. She was one of three people inside the vehicle, including a 15-year-old girl.
Authorities said the driver had difficulty providing identification and said she did not have a driver’s license. Officers eventually identified the driver as Fidelia Barrera-Villanueva, 39.
Both women were from Houston, and the 15-year-old girl was Barrera-Villanueva’s daughter.
When stopped, testimony showed, the women said they were on their way from Texas to Atlanta.
Barrera-Villanueva gave officers permission to search the vehicle. During that search, officers saw a pillowcase underneath a box on the floorboard behind the front passenger seat.
Inside the pillowcase were six cylindrical objects wrapped in black tape containing what turned out to be a total of 5.9 kilograms of heroin.
Barrera-Villanueva previously pleaded guilty to possession of heroin with intent to distribute and could receive a maximum sentence of life in prison. Vasquez-Guardado faces a 10-year sentence.
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