United States v. Carlos Ruiz
Opinion
Opinion
MEMORANDUM
Carlos Ruiz appeals the 78-month sentence imposed by the district court following his guilty plea to importing 10.40 kilograms of methamphetamine and 1.64 kilograms of heroin into the United States from Mexico in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 952 and 960. We affirm the sentence.
The district court applied the proper test when it denied Ruiz a minor role reduction pursuant to United States Sentencing Guideline § 3B1.2(b). It was not required to compare Ruiz to hypothetical participants. United States v. Rosas, 615 F.3d 1058 , 1068 (9th Cir.2010). The mere fact that Ruiz was a courier did not entitle him to a minor role adjustment. United States v. Hurtado, No. 13-50170, 760 F.3d 1065, 1068 , 2014 WL 3720241, at *3 (9th Cir. July 7, 2014); United States v. Rodriguez-Castro, 641 F.3d 1189, 1193 (9th Cir.2011). The district court did not clearly err in finding that Ruiz was a run-of-the-mill drug smuggler for money,' no better, no worse. The substantial quantity of drugs and Ruiz’s admission that he had successfully crossed the border with narcotics on four previous occasions support the district court’s finding that Ruiz was not a minor participant. Id.