United States v. Ramiro Cortes-Sanchez

Ramiro Cortes-Sanchez and Jose Hernandez appeal their convictions and sentences of 188 months and 262 months of imprisonment, respectively, for conspiracy to import and possess five kilograms or more of cocaine. See 21 U.S.C. §§ 963, 846. Cortes-Sanchez and Hernandez argue that the district court erred when it admitted evidence of their prior drug importation, under Federal Rule of Evidence 404(b), and found the drug quantity for sentencing based upon this evidence. We affirm.

I. BACKGROUND

On July 1, 2005, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement inspectors in Laredo, Texas, stopped a truck…