Woman sentenced for transporting cocaine across Nebraska

LINCOLN, Neb. (KSNB) - A California woman is heading to prison after she was accused of traveling with more than 19 pounds of cocaine in her vehicle on Interstate 80.

According to a release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, 35-year-old Imelda Ambriz, of Los Angeles, CA, was sentenced to 4.5 years in prison for transporting cocaine. After her release, she’ll begin a three-year term of supervised release. There’s no parole in the federal system.

On September 17, 2022, a trooper with the Nebraska State Patrol was patrolling westbound on Interstate 80 near York when he observed a white Ford SUV traveling eastbound in the passing lane following another vehicle at a close and unsafe distance. The trooper caught up to the SUV and saw it exit I-80 near York. The trooper conducted a traffic stop at a nearby truck stop in York County.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office said the trooper approached the SUV and identified the lone driver as Ambriz, who was taking short rapid breaths and her entire body was shaking. While questioning Ambriz during the stop, the trooper became suspicious of criminal activity and requested permission to search her vehicle, which Ambriz granted. A subsequent search revealed 19.9 pounds of cocaine hidden in the back of the vehicle’s seats.

This case was investigated by the Nebraska State Patrol.

Copyright 2023 KSNB. All rights reserved.