Jose Angel Ibarra-Rojas, a 36-year-old Mexican citizen, has been sentenced to 132 months (11 years) in federal prison for his role in possessing with intent to distribute approximately $2.8 million worth of methamphetamine. The drugs were ingeniously concealed inside cabbages, U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei announced today.

Ibarra-Rojas pleaded guilty on November 6, 2024. During the sentencing hearing, District Judge Drew B. Tipton heard how the narcotics were packaged in a sophisticated manner: the heads of cabbages were removed, and balls of methamphetamine were then inserted into the leaves to camouflage them.

The discovery was made on June 18, 2024, when law enforcement conducted a traffic stop on a tractor-trailer in Pharr, with Ibarra-Rojas as the passenger. A search of the cargo area revealed 1,154 plastic-wrapped packages containing a crystal-like substance hidden within the cabbages. Authorities confirmed the substance was methamphetamine, totaling approximately 1,356 kilograms (nearly 3,000 pounds), with an estimated street value exceeding $2.8 million.

Ibarra-Rojas admitted he knew the trailer contained narcotics and was aware it had recently entered the United States. He claimed he expected to be paid $1,000 to arrange the transport of the trailer and its illicit cargo farther north into the country, and he confessed to having arranged similar transports multiple times in the past.

"The amount of drugs smuggled in this case is staggering, but fortunately authorities were able to seize it before it hit our streets," said Ganjei. "ICE-HSI, CBP, and the Hidalgo County Constable’s Office should be commended for their excellent work in keeping this meth out of our community."

The investigation was conducted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI), with assistance from Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and the Hidalgo County Constable’s Office.

As he is not a U.S. citizen, Ibarra-Rojas is expected to face removal proceedings following his imprisonment. He will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexa D. Parcell prosecuted the case.