A 28-year-old active duty Army National Guardsman was sentenced to more than four years in prison for attempting to smuggle nearly seven kilograms of cocaine into the country.

Jonathan Zarazua pled guilty to the possession charge in January. The 50-month-long prison sentence for the Austin resident will be followed by three years of supervised release, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Zarazua was arrested on September 2021 after he attempted to enter the United States through the Brownsville & Matamoros Express International Bridge. A secondary inspection of his vehicle revealed 6.62 kilograms of cocaine hidden in a false compartment under the center console.

“At the time of his arrest, Zarazua was an active duty Army National Guardsman employed as a Petroleum Supply Specialist,” the news release stated. “He also served on active duty with the United States Army from 2016 to 2020.”

Zarazua admitted to smuggling drugs into the country on at least 30 other occasions. He will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility.