Killeen Man Sentenced for Methamphetamine Conspiracy

Joshua Ruben Olivencia, a 34-year-old from Killeen, Texas, has been sentenced to 22 years in federal prison for his involvement in a methamphetamine importation conspiracy. His arrest occurred on August 1, 2020, at a Del Rio hotel where he, alongside co-defendants, was found to have attempted to smuggle 7.86 kilograms of methamphetamine from Mexico. Customs and Border Protection officers discovered the drugs hidden in the door panels of a vehicle driven by another co-defendant, Bibiana Ira Ortiz. Olivencia was not a passive participant but played a significant role, distributing meth in cities like Austin and Killeen and even funding the purchase of drugs with $18,500 given to co-defendant Jimmie Troy Palmer III. Other co-defendants have also received substantial prison sentences, with Ortiz sentenced to 151 months and Palmer to 25 years. The case is part of ongoing efforts by federal authorities to combat drug trafficking in the U.S.