U.S. Attorney Jaime E. Esparza | U.S. Department of Justice
U.S. Attorney Jaime E. Esparza | U.S. Department of Justice
An Arlington woman, Linnette Rodriguez-Potter, has been sentenced to 14 years in federal prison for her involvement in a methamphetamine smuggling conspiracy. According to court documents, Rodriguez-Potter, aged 46, conspired with others to import 3.422 kilograms of methamphetamine with a purity of 100% into the United States.
The incident occurred on July 25, 2020, when Rodriguez-Potter was referred to a secondary inspection at the Del Rio Port of Entry. Customs and Border Protection Officers discovered seven packages containing methamphetamine hydrochloride. A search of her cell phone revealed communications with co-conspirator Sally Renae Smith, instructing Rodriguez-Potter to deliver the packages to Smith at a Del Rio motel. The group intended to further distribute the methamphetamine elsewhere in Texas.
Rodriguez-Potter and her co-defendants—Sally Renae Smith, Joshua Keith Stewart, and Stetson Lee Spearman—all pleaded guilty to the conspiracy charge. Smith received a sentence of 292 months in prison on February 22, 2024. Stewart was sentenced to 235 months on October 4. Spearman remains in federal custody with his sentencing hearing scheduled for March 12, 2025.
U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza for the Western District of Texas announced these developments. The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rex Beasley.
Alerts Sign-up