BEAUMONT, Texas – A Mexican national residing illegally in the United States has been sentenced to federal prison for drug trafficking offenses in the Eastern District of Texas, according to U.S. Attorney Damien M. Diggs. Francisco Santana Herrera, a 42-year-old, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute cocaine and received an 80-month federal prison sentence from U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone on November 21, 2024. Court records reveal that on April 10, 2024, Herrera was stopped for speeding in a construction zone on Interstate 10 in Beaumont. During a vehicle search, officers discovered approximately 16 kilos of cocaine. The case was investigated by the Beaumont Police Department, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, and Homeland Security Investigations/Customs Enforcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachel Grove prosecuted the case.