Lincoln, Neb. — A California woman has been sentenced to three years in prison on federal drug charges. Adriana Gonzalez, 34, of San Ysidro, was arrested in August 2022 with 59 pounds of methamphetamine and 9 pounds of fentanyl discovered hidden in statues during a traffic stop on Interstate 80 near Cozad.
A trooper contacted the occupants of a Volkswagen Passat, with Gonzalez in the driver’s seat, at the westbound I-80 rest area at Cozad, near mile marker 227. During the encounter, an NSP police dog detected the odor of a controlled substance coming from inside the vehicle.
A search of the vehicle revealed two foam statues in the backseat. Troopers discovered that both statues were hollow and contained several packages of controlled substances. They also found a firearm and $2,900 cash. The cash will be forfeited as drug proceeds.
Gonzalez pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and 100 grams or more of fentanyl. She was also sentenced to five years of post-release supervision.
A co-defendant, Ramon Lopez-Larios, of San Ysidro, 53, who also is known as Ildefonso Rivera-Leon, was sentenced earlier this month to 14 years.
