A 51-year-old Edinburg resident has been ordered to federal prison for attempting to import narcotics from Mexico.

According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Richard Nares pleaded guilty on May 2 to importing meth in vehicle batteries.

The incident happened on Dec. 20, 2021. Nares attempted to enter the U.S. from Mexico through the Hidalgo Port of Entry.

According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Nares was driving a Dodge Ram when law enforcement saw two commercial vehicle batteries. A K-9 unit then alerted officers to the presence of narcotics.

Once authorities dismantled the batteries and discovered two bundles in each battery. Further search of the connected batteries under the hood of the truck found four additional bundles.

Lab testing confirmed the eight bundles contained meth and weighed a total of 20.34 kilograms.

The U.S. Attorney's Office said Nares admitted he traveled to Mexico earlier that day with the intent to turn the vehicle over to another individual after entering the U.S. with the narcotics.

Nares was sentenced to 60 months in federal prison followed by five years of supervised release. He was permitted to remain on bond and voluntarily surrender to the U.S. Marshal in the near future.