GRAND ISLAND, Neb. -- A Grand Island man was sentenced to 11 years in prison for drug and weapon charges. 

The U.S. Attorney announced that 22-year-old Mark A. Barraza Saenz of Grand Island was sentenced Thursday in federal court in Lincoln for possessing with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and possessing a firearm in aiding of that drug trafficking crime.

The Senior U.S. District Judge sentenced Barraza Saenz to 72 months in prison on the drug charge and a consecutive 60 months in prison on the firearm charge, for a total sentence of 11 years. 

After his release from prison, he will begin a five-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.

Court documents said that on October 12, 2021, in the early morning hours, a Merrick County Sheriff’s Office deputy saw a sedan heading east into Central City.

Based on driving infractions, the deputy said they initiated a traffic stop.

Two males were in the sedan, including Barraza Saenz in the front passenger seat.

Barraza Saenz admitted to smoking marijuana about an hour earlier and consented to the deputy searching him.

While searching Barraza Saenz, the deputy found two bundles of meth.

The deputy then searched the trunk of the sedan and found a bag containing meth.

Under the bag was an American Tactical M1911 Military .45 caliber semi-automatic pistol with the magazine containing one bullet next to it.

The meth from Barraza Saenz’s person and the vehicle was laboratory tested and confirmed to be about 209 grams of meth.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Merrick County Sheriff’s Office.