Transcontinental Drug Mule Pleads Guilty in West Virginia

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A woman working as a drug trafficking mule pleaded guilty to driving from California to West Virginia to deliver a load of crystal methamphetamine for a drug sale. Her conviction arose from an investigation that resulted in drug trafficking charges being filed against 14 defendants.

Danielle Dessaray Estrada, 21, a Los Angeles resident, was arrested in West Virginia after federal officials learned she would be driving across the country to deliver a load of crystal meth, according to a plea agreement obtained by Breitbart Texas. Estrada admitted she was carrying out the transportation of the drugs after being hired by other defendants in the case.

Estrada stated she picked up the methamphetamine from a pre-determined location and transported them to alleged co-conspirators Cesar Garcia and Rafael Serrato. The three co-conspirators then packaged the drugs for transportation and placed them under the back seat of her car.

The defendant then left California with the approximately 5 pounds of crystal meth and drove to West Virginia where she would deliver them to Serrato who would allegedly fly out to meet her there. She was accompanied on the trip by another woman who was identified in the plea agreement as Rachel Garay. Estrada said she was paid $4,000 to make the cross-country trip.

On March 26, Estrada and Garay arrived in West Virginia where they removed the drugs from their hiding place and placed them in a bag. Soon after, they were stopped by law enforcement officers and arrested for possession with intent to distribute the drugs.

She also admitted to a December 2015 trip where she was to deliver two packages of drugs. She had also flown to Charleston, West Virginia, in February 2016 to pick up money to be delivered to a co-conspirator. She was paid $7,000 for that trip.

Her arrest grew out of an investigation that resulted in an eight-count indictment against fourteen defendants. She now faces up to five years in federal prison. Her sentencing hearing is scheduled for October 6.

The plea agreement was accepted by U.S. District Court Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr., in the Southern District of West Virginia. The investigation was carried out by: FBI, DHS Homeland Security Investigations, the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Charleston Police Department, and the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jenny Rada Herrald.

Bob Price serves as senior political news contributor for Breitbart Texas. Follow him on Twitter @BobPriceBBTX.

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