Truck driver sentenced to prison after dumping jug of urine to hide smell of drugs in cab

A truck driver was recently sentenced to federal prison after a “failed attempt to hide cocaine with urine,” officials said.

Pablo Garcia Ortiz, 50, was sentenced to serve 36 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by five years of supervised release, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas.

Ortiz pleaded guilty April 2, 2025, to possession with intent to distribute over 23 kilograms of cocaine.

During a September 11 hearing prior to the sentencing, the court heard additional information on how Ortiz attempted to hide cocaine he was transporting from detection by law enforcement.

Officials say that on November 1, 2024, Ortiz was operating a Freightliner tractor trailer when he approached the Sarita Border Patrol checkpoint.

After a canine alerted to his vehicle, the truck was referred for secondary inspection.

“Ortiz delayed exiting and poured a jug of urine inside the cab in an attempt to mask the odor of narcotics. He also accused law enforcement of planting evidence,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.

Officers uncovered 22 bundles of cocaine weighing approximately 24 kilograms hidden in a blue toolbox under the bed in the cab of the Freightliner.

“They also found chili powder which is commonly used to disguise the smell of narcotics,” officials said.

Additionally, a search of Ortiz’s phone showed evidence of a prior cocaine smuggling activity in September 2024.

Ortiz will be allowed to remain out on bond and will voluntarily surrender himself at a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility at a later date.

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and Border Patrol.