Cocaine Courier’s 57 Month Federal Sentence Not Reduced Because a Large Quantity Was Seized
Under Federal sentencing guidelines, a drug courier is often eligible for a sentencing reduction due to his or her minor role and limited involvement. The courier may not be aware of even the type of drug transported, the sender’s name or the actual recipient of the delivery.
It is rare, however, for the courier to be unaware of the quantity involved.
In the case of Juan Felipe Rodriguez-Castro (“Rodriguez”), 33.46 kilograms – roughly 73 pounds, of cocaine was seized in the gas tank of a car driven by him over the Mexico-U.S. border. Rodriguez admitted that he knew the drug was there, but did not know it was cocaine. However, he also conceded that he accepted $3,500 to courier the drugs, that he was given the vehicle from a co-worker several weeks before for the purpose of moving the drugs across the border and that he crossed back-and-forth across the border to develop a Port of Entry record before the delivery date.
It stands to reason that Rodriguez must have realized that the street value of the drugs was many multiples of the fee he was paid.
In other words, Rodriguez was not just handed the keys to a car at the last minute and asked to simply drive the car across the border for a couple thousand bucks. He was involved in the planning, rehearsal and execution of the delivery. He was an integral part of the delivery, if not the most important part.
After being arrested and charged, Rodriguez pled guilty to a violation of 21 U.S.C.
