Man sentenced in 55-pound cocaine bust at rest area near York

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) — A man will spend almost four years behind bars after getting caught with a large cache of cocaine at a Nebraska rest area.

Nicandro Garcia Perez, 40, of Mexico was sentenced Thursday in federal court in Lincoln.

He got 46 months in prison for possession with intent to distribute 5 kilograms or more of cocaine.

SEE ALSO: Nebraska troopers find 55 pounds of cocaine in car near York, patrol says

In June 2023, a Nebraska state trooper saw a vehicle with a license plate violation at an Interstate 80 rest area near York.

The trooper talked with the driver, Garcia Perez, who gave permission to search the car, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.

Troopers said they found multiple packages of cocaine in the spare tire compartment.

And even more bricks were discovered under the second- and third-row seats.

In total, law enforcement seized 22 bricks of cocaine weighing 55.86 pounds.

After Garcia is out of prison, he will spend two years on supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.