Illinois
Man who transported drugs to Illinois headed to federal prison
A Texas man is headed to federal prison after he transported drugs across state lines.
Henry Garcia-Blanco, 28, of Irving, Texas admitted to transporting a kilogram of cocaine to Illinois and thus was sentenced to 57 months in prison (just shy of five years) in federal court in East St. Louis, Illinois.
According to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office Southern District of Illinois, DEA agents began an investigation after learning significant quantities of cocaine were being transported from Texas, through Illinois, and on to St. Louis in late 2021.
“A confidential source informed agents a drug courier was stuck in Effingham, Illinois. The courier was identified as Garcia-Blanco, and the agents arranged a ride to facilitate his travel,” the release reads. “Upon questioning from law enforcement, a positive alert from a trained narcotics K-9 and a subsequent search of the vehicle, officers located a vacuum-sealed brick of what was later confirmed by laboratory testing to be just over a kilogram of cocaine.”
In a statement, U.S. Attorney Rachelle Aud Crowe said, “Increased accessibility to illicit drugs creates significant health risks for communities in southern Illinois, and the individuals found responsible for transporting large quantities of dangerous narcotics across our state lines will face time in prison.”