Houston drug dealer sent to prison for possession of more than 5,000 grams of pure meth

HOUSTON (KIAH) – A Houston resident has been convicted of conspiracy to possess methamphetamine with intent to distribute methamphetamine, the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced.

Jesus Alfredo Palacios, 25, pleaded guilty on January 30. U.S. District Judge Andrew Hanen ordered Palacios to serve 150 months in federal prison, immediately followed by five years of supervised release.

The investigation began in January 2020 when law enforcement learned that Palacios was selling kilogram quantities of methamphetamine in the Houston area.

On March 30, 2021, authorities saw Palacios leaving his apartment with a beige-colored backpack and a large box. He then placed the box in the backseat of a gray 2011 Nissan Sentra. Law enforcement conducted a traffic stop and immediately noticed a strong odor of marijuana coming from his vehicle.

While searching the Nissan, authorities also observed two boxes in the back seat containing three plastic containers containing a crystallized substance. Laboratory analysis revealed it to be 5,768 grams of methamphetamine and a purity level of 88%.

Palacios will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.