Man sentenced to 11 years for trafficking meth through Hidalgo Port of Entry following HSI Rio Grande Valley investigation

McALLEN, Texas — A South Carolina man was sentenced to federal prison for trafficking meth through the Hidalgo Port of Entry following an investigation conducted by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

Jeffery Wills, 39, was sentenced Feb. 14 to serve 135 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. At the hearing, the judge heard evidence that Wills served as a key player in handling narcotics imported from Mexico for distribution along the East Coast. In handing down the sentence, the judge noted that drug trafficking throughout the United States impacts the safety and security of communities along the U.S. border. Wills pleaded guilty June 20, 2023, and admitted that he facilitated a shipment of meth into the United States through the Hidalgo Port of Entry.

“HSI stands committed to keeping highly addictive drugs like methamphetamine off the streets of South Texas,” said HSI San Antonio Special Agent in Charge Craig Larrabee. “Today’s sentence not only holds Wills accountable for his crimes but serves as a warning to those traffickers who are contributing to the drug crisis in America. HSI will continue to work tirelessly to identify, arrest and prosecute those involved in trafficking this poison and fight to keep our communities safe.”

According to court documents, on July 31, 2021, co-conspirators Jasmine Dorsey, 28, and Iyana Carter, 25, both of Newnan, Georgia, attempted to enter the United States with 35 bags of meth totaling 17 kilograms concealed in the fuel tank of their vehicle. They admitted to smuggling narcotics and identified Wills as the individual who assisted and contributed to the drug trafficking ring by coordinating cash transfers and providing cellphones. Dorsey and Carter were ordered to deliver the meth to Wills for further distribution. Law enforcement later arrested Wills at his residence in South Carolina. At that time, he possessed significant quantities of marijuana, heroin, crack cocaine, cocaine, meth and dimethyltryptamine — a hallucinogenic drug — as well as 11 firearms.

Wills remains in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

Dorsey and Carter also pleaded guilty and were ordered to serve 64 and 78 months in federal prison, respectively, to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release for each.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys for the Southern District of Texas Theodore Parran III and Daniel Chung prosecuted the case.

HSI is the principal investigative arm of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), responsible for investigating transnational crime and threats, specifically those criminal organizations that exploit the global infrastructure through which international trade, travel and finance move. HSI’s workforce of more than 8,700 employees consists of more than 6,000 special agents assigned to 237 cities throughout the United States, and 93 overseas locations in 56 countries. HSI’s international presence represents DHS’ largest investigative law enforcement presence abroad and one of the largest international footprints in U.S. law enforcement.

Source: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE.gov)