INDIANAPOLIS — A California man who was convicted of acting as a drug carrier after being busted with 45 pounds of meth at the Indianapolis International Airport was sentenced to federal prison time Thursday.

Cesar Alexander Pineda-Penaloza, 21, was sentenced on Dec. 11 to serve 10 years and 10 months in federal prison followed by four years of supervised release after he pleaded guilty to possession with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine.

According to court documents, between January 2023 and November 2024, Pineda-Penaloza was acting as a drug courier when he repeatedly flew from the West Coast to the Midwest via commercial airlines. During this time, court documents say he was hauling drugs.

On Nov. 9, 2024, Pineda-Penaloza arrived at the Indianapolis Inter

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