A K-9 dog’s keen sense of smell helped send a New Mexico man to prison for decades following a 2024 drug bust that netted 131 pounds of methamphetamine, officials said.
Miguel Dominguez Escobar, 22, of Las Cruces, received a 50-year sentence as part of a plea deal Aug. 7 in the 451st state District Court, prosecutors said.
Escobar also was assessed a $10,000 fine.
He was charged with the manufacture and delivery of a controlled substance, penalty group 1, a first-degree felony.
The sentence stems from an Aug. 25, 2024, traffic stop of a pickup initiated by Kendall County Sheriff's Office K-9 handler Cpl. Cary Boerner, according to reports.
The corporal stopped the vehicle near Ranger Creek Road and Interstate 10 after he observed a moving violation, investigators said.
During the stop, Boerner’s “highly trained” K-9 dog, a Dutch shepherd named Luna, detected suspected contraband during what deputies termed “an open-air sniff,” according to reports.
Law officers opened a compartment in the vehicle and found 74 “bricks” of sealed packages containing methamphetamine, with a total weight of 131 pounds, prosecutors said.
Kendall County Assistant Criminal District Attorney Derly Chapa prosecuted the court case.
The investigation was led by Kendall County deputies with assistance from the Kerr County Sheriff’s Office, the Boerne Police Department, the Texas Department of Public Safety and the Department of Homeland Security Investigations.
Boerner, who has been with the department 14 years and is also a patrol-shift supervisor, received recognition along with Luna in May at the 35th annual San Antonio ASIS, or American Society for Industrial Security, Chapter Law Enforcement Awards Banquet.
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