Mexican National Sentenced for Possession of Meth with Intent to Distribute and Unlawful Reentry

A Mexican national is sentenced to eight years in prison without parole for possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute and for unlawful reentry into the U.S. after removal.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Missouri says 26-year-old Apolinar Gocovachi Pacheco was a passenger in a car pulled over in September-2024. A search of the car uncovered more than 56 pounds of meth.

Pacheco had told investigators that he paid $6,000 to cross the border from Mexico and that he was asked to help transport the meth from Omaha to the Kansas City area in exchange for a significant amount of U.S. currency.

Two other defendants await sentencing after pleading guilty in the case which was part of Operation Take Back America.