Commercial truck driver sentenced for attempt to smuggle $6 million in cocaine through Texas port of entry

A commercial truck driver was recently sentenced to prison for attempting to smuggle hundreds of pounds of cocaine across the Pharr International Bridge.

Mario Pastor, 34, of Mexico, was sentenced to 15 years in prison on drug smuggling charges after a jury trial, according to an October 29 statement from the Hidalgo County District Attorney’s Office.

The charges stem from an incident that occurred on March 5, 2025, at the Pharr International Bridge located in Pharr, Texas.

Officials say that Pastor approached the bridge in a commercial truck and was referred for a secondary inspection.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection searched the truck and located approximately 440 pounds of cocaine concealed within commodities in the vehicle’s trailer.

The estimated street value of the seized drugs is more than $6 million.

“This verdict sends a clear message,. Drug traffickers who attempt to use our highways and borders to transport dangerous narcotics will be caught and held fully accountable. The men and women of law enforcement who stopped this shipment prevented millions of dollars’ worth of illegal drugs from reaching our communities,” said Hidalgo County District Attorney Terry Palacios.