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A California man convicted of transporting a high quantity of cocaine through LaPorte County has been sentenced to nine years in prison.
U.S. District Judge Cristal Brisco sentenced Antonio Curiel, 44, of San Ysedro, California, after he pleaded guilty to possessing with intent to distribute over 500 grams of cocaine.
The Indiana Northern District U.S. Attorney’s Office announced the sentence.
Curiel was sentenced to 108 months in prison, followed by four years of supervised release.
According to documents in the case, in March 2024, Curiel was transporting more than 18 kilograms of cocaine from California to the East Coast in a vehicle when he was stopped by law enforcement in Northern Indiana.
A LaPorte County Sheriff’s Department officer deployed a K9 unit around Curiel’s vehicle and gave a positive alert to the odor of narcotics.
When an officer confronted Curiel, he acknowledged he had cocaine in his vehicle and stated, “many, too many,” according to the criminal complaint, and admitted to possessing more than 12 kilos.
Curiel admitted he was being paid for his transportation services, and this was not the first time making such a trip. He told police he was delivering the drugs to someone in the Boston area.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, including the DEA North Central Laboratory, with assistance from the LaPorte County Sheriff’s Office.
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