CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — A 34-year-old man from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced to a decade in federal prison for attempting to smuggle cocaine through a Border Patrol checkpoint near Kingsville.
Eric Barclay pleaded guilty on January 22 to possession with intent to distribute cocaine, according to Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck. U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzalez Ramos ordered Barclay to serve 120 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release. During the hearing, evidence was presented that Barclay attempted to flee on foot after a high-speed vehicle pursuit.
On July 25, 2024, Christopher Seabrook, 51, also of Philadelphia, drove a silver Chrysler to the Javier Vega Jr. BP checkpoint near Sarita, with Barclay as a passenger. During the initial inspection, Seabrook fled, leading law enforcement on a chase reaching speeds up to 125 miles per hour. Authorities stopped the vehicle by puncturing its tires, at which point Barclay attempted to escape on foot. A subsequent search of the vehicle revealed 10 bundles of cocaine weighing 9.8 kilograms hidden in the rear panels, with an estimated street value of $210,000.
Barclay remains in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility. Seabrook was previously sentenced to 120 months in federal prison. The investigation was conducted by the Border Patrol and Drug Enforcement Administration, with assistance from the Texas Highway Patrol and the Philadelphia Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Lamont and Ashley Pruitt prosecuted the case.
