A Mexican national, Apolinar Gocovachi Pacheco, was sentenced on Apr. 2 to eight years in federal prison without parole for possessing more than 56 pounds of methamphetamine and unlawfully reentering the United States after deportation.
Pacheco’s sentencing follows his arrest after a Missouri State Highway Patrol trooper stopped a vehicle on Interstate 29 near Kansas City in September 2024. Authorities found over 55 pounds of methamphetamine in a duffle bag and an additional pound in a grocery bag, along with a loaded firearm. The case highlights ongoing efforts by law enforcement agencies to combat drug trafficking and illegal immigration.
According to court documents, Pacheco told investigators he had entered the United States illegally from Nogales Sonora, Mexico, about two weeks before his arrest and paid $6,000 to cross the border. He said he was asked by Pablo DeJesus Peralta Anguis to travel from Kansas City, Kansas, to Omaha to pick up drugs and would be paid for transporting them back. Immigration officials confirmed that Pacheco had previously been found illegally present near Nogalez, Arizona on Aug. 22, 2024 and was removed that same day.
Co-defendants Pedro Alberto Quiroz Ayala and Anguis have pleaded guilty to charges related to methamphetamine possession with intent to distribute; Anguis also pleaded guilty to unlawful reentry after removal. Both await sentencing.
The U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Missouri supports community outreach programs addressing violent crime and drug trafficking according to its official website. The office is affiliated with the U.S. Department of Justice according to its official website and handles federal prosecutions across 66 counties stretching from Iowa’s border southward through Arkansas according to its official website. Offices are located in Kansas City, Jefferson City, and Springfield according to its official website, collaborating closely with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement partners according to its official website.
This prosecution is part of Operation Take Back America—a nationwide initiative led by the Department of Justice aimed at combating illegal immigration as well as dismantling cartels and transnational criminal organizations.
