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NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that MARTIN ALAMEDA-PINEDA, age 37, of Mexico, was sentenced on November 3, 2021 to 180 months in prison for transporting a large amount of methamphetamine into the Eastern District of Louisiana from Texas, while armed with a firearm. ALAMEDA-PINEDA was also sentenced to five (5) years of supervised release following imprisonment and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.  Earlier this year ALAMEDA-PINEDA pled guilty as charged to a three-count indictment that was pending against him.  He was charged in Count 1 with possession with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)A);  Count 2 with possessing a firearm in furtherance of his drug trafficking activities, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c); and charged in Count 3 with being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(g)(5)(A).

According to the documents that were placed into the court record during his guilty plea, the defendant was arrested by St. Tammany Parish Sheriff Detectives after they conducted a lawful traffic stop of his vehicle and found 10 lbs. of methamphetamine in the back seat of his vehicle and a firearm in the center console. The detectives conducted the stop based on information obtained from Special Agents with the Department of Homeland Security, who had knowledge that the defendant would be transporting a significant amount of drugs to the Eastern District of Louisiana.

US. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Department of Homeland Security and the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office in working together to investigate this matter. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Maurice E. Landrieu, Jr.