YAKIMA, Wash. — A 27-year-old man living in Pasco, Washington, was sentenced to ten years in prison for possession with intent to distribute twenty-five pounds of meth, according to a release from the Department of Justice.
Jesus Birrueta-Mendoza, a Mexican citizen, pleaded guilty to the charges on February 18, 2025, and his sentence includes five years of supervised release following his prison term.
“Mr. Birrueta-Mendoza was engaged in drug trafficking after unlawfully returning to the United States,” Acting U.S. Attorney Stephanie Van Marter said.
“He intended to distribute a large amount of methamphetamine into our community without concern about its impact.”
On January 18, 2024, Birrueta-Mendoza was arrested in Sunnyside, Washington, while in possession of twenty-five pounds of meth, the release said.
Prosecutors say he was working to sell upwards of fifty pounds of meth.
In 2018, authorities removed Birrueta-Mendoza from the U.S. three times, as he was not legally authorized to be in the country.
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