BEAUMONT, Texas-An illegal alien has been sentenced to 14 years in federal prison for drug trafficking violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.

Luis Emmanuel Quevedo-Vasquez, 30, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and was sentenced to 168 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone on January 22, 2026.

According to information presented in court, on April 2, 2024, Quevedo-Vasquez, a Mexican national illegally in the United States, and Carmen Guadalupe Diaz, 26, of Georgia, were stopped for a traffic violation in Nacogdoches County. During the stop, law enforcement noticed an open container of alcohol and searched the vehicle discovering various illegal drugs including over a kilogram of methamphetamine, almost two kilograms of cocaine, and nearly a kilogram of heroin. During the search, the deputy also located two firearms. It was determined that the pair were transporting the drugs from Texas to Wisconsin.

Diaz admitted to regularly smuggling both humans and narcotics and stated she was being paid $20,000 to transport the load that was intercepted by law enforcement. On January 15, 2026, Diaz was also sentenced to 168 months in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.

This case was investigated by the Nacogdoches County Sheriff's Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Drug Enforcement Administration. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Donald S. Carter.

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