EL PASO, Texas (Border Report) — Gilberto Lopez attempted to smuggle a load of meth by hiding it in the muffler of an SUV, but a drug-sniffing dog spotted it during an inspection at the border.

The 40-year-old from El Paso arrived in a 2003 GMC Yukon at the Paso Del Norte Port of Entry on April 12, 2022, when border officers ordered him to undergo a secondary inspection.

The dog alerted U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers, who found two black bundles containing methamphetamine under the muffler’s shield.

According to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas, a federal jury in May found Lopez guilty of one count of conspiracy to import 500 grams or more of methamphetamine; one count of importation of 500 grams of methamphetamine; one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine; and one count of possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine.

Last Week, he was sentenced to 262 months in prison.

“We frequently highlight fentanyl, but methamphetamine trafficking continues to contribute to violent crime and tragic overdose incidents in our communities,” U.S. Attorney Ashley C. Hoff said in a statement. “The dedicated efforts of our law enforcement partners and prosecutions like this help to protect our communities by disrupting the flow of methamphetamine and other dangerous drugs into the United States.”