Mexican national sentenced to prison for drug trafficking, running from officers

SAN ANTONIO (KTSA News) — A Mexican national will spend 27 years in prison after his conviction for smuggling drugs into the United States and then trying to run from U.S. Customs and Border Protection at a port of entry.

On March 2, 2021, Caleb Eduardo Gomez-Sanchez, 35, entered the U.S. in Eagle Pass, and when he was stopped by officers he initially complied with orders associated with secondary inspection. After getting out of his car, he was told to remove his jacket, at which point he jumped back into his car and tried to get back into Mexico.

Officers responded by blocking the suspect vehicle before Gomez-Sanchez crashed into a patrol car. He then crashed into a concrete barrier on the Mexico side of a bridge. This is when Gomez-Sanchez was met by Mexican authorities, who returned him immediately to U.S. officials.

“The federal agents along our southern border risk their lives on a daily basis to limit the infiltration of drugs, weapons, and the illegal entry of undocumented noncitizens into the United States,” said U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza for the Western District of Texas. “I appreciate the diligence of our CBP Officers at Eagle Pass for their efforts in this case, along with the Mexican law enforcement officers for their assistance in returning this defendant to U.S. custody for prosecution.”

Two border patrol officers were injured during the crash, and after a search of Gomez-Sanchez’s coat pocket, a sock was found containing 64.48 grams of methamphetamine hydrochloride with a purity level of approximately 99%.

A release from the U.S. Department of Justice says Gomez-Sanchez pleaded guilty to possession of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute on September 13, 2021. His sentence handed down in Del Rio federal court totals 324 months.