Texas Man Sentenced After Alabama Traffic Stop Uncovers Cocaine

A Texas man was sentenced to nearly four years in federal prison after admitting to transporting six kilograms of cocaine through Alabama, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Alabama.
U.S. District Judge Annmarie C. Axon sentenced Brandon Azael Lopez, 30, of McAllen, Texas, to 46 months in prison. Lopez pleaded guilty in October 2025 to possession with intent to distribute cocaine.
Federal prosecutors said the case stemmed from a traffic stop on Dec. 12, 2023, along Interstate 20/59 in Greene County. An agent with the 17th Judicial Circuit Drug Task Force stopped Lopez after observing him change lanes without signaling and initially planned to issue a warning.
According to court records, Lopez appeared unusually nervous during the stop and told the agent that he and his brother were traveling to Charlotte for a three-week job with an oil company. After first identifying the destination as Charlotte, South Carolina, Lopez later clarified that he meant Charlotte, North Carolina.
Authorities said Lopez consented to a search of the vehicle. During the search, investigators found a new battery jump box beneath the front passenger seat and jumper cables on the rear floorboard. Under the hood, agents observed two batteries with signs of tampering, including tool marks, pry marks and glue. One of the batteries also appeared significantly lighter than a standard vehicle battery.
Investigators discovered six individually wrapped bundles of cocaine concealed inside the batteries. Each bundle weighed approximately one kilogram, for a total of six kilograms.
In a statement, U.S. Attorney Phillip W. Williams Jr. said law enforcement agencies remain committed to disrupting the transportation of illegal narcotics along interstate highways in the Northern District of Alabama.
He also commended the work of the 17th Judicial Circuit Drug Task Force.