ALEXANDRIA, VA—Twenty-eight individuals
have been arrested for their alleged roles in a cocaine trafficking ring based
in Northern Virginia that uses couriers to regularly import large amounts of
cocaine from Honduras hidden in shoes and decorative wooden frames. Members of
the trafficking ring have allegedly wired more than $1 million from the United
States back to cocaine suppliers in Honduras.
Neil H. MacBride, U.S. Attorney for the
Eastern District of Virginia, and James W. McJunkin, Assistant Director in
Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, made the announcement after the
charges became public.
“Through creativity and coordination,
this tight network of Honduran immigrants allegedly distributed vast amounts of
cocaine throughout Northern Virginia and across the mid-Atlantic,” said U.S.
Attorney MacBride. “Thanks to close partnerships among law enforcement, we were
able to put together the case that led to today’s charges.”
“These individuals face charges for
their alleged involvement in a drug trafficking ring that brought large amounts
of cocaine into our communities,” said Assistant Director in Charge McJunkin.
“Together with our law enforcement partners, the FBI will continue to target
international drug conspiracies as we diligently work to keep our neighborhoods
and citizens safe.”
According to a criminal complaint
affidavit, since between 2006 and May 2012, a contingent of Honduran immigrants
living in and around Fairfax County has coordinated with sources of supply in
Honduras to pay couriers to fly cocaine from Honduras to the United States on a
regular basis. Much of the couriers’ baggage would contain items that were not
contraband, such as clothing, food, and Honduras-related trinkets, so the
conspirators would hide cocaine in innocuous items, typically wooden frames and
shoes, that would blend in with the couriers’ other cargo.
The affidavit alleges that once the
couriers arrived in the United States, members of the conspiracy would pick up
the items containing cocaine from the couriers and then distribute it to
dealers in Virginia, Maryland, North Carolina, and Massachusetts, who, in turn,
would send sale proceeds back to Honduras through wire transfers.
Leaders of the conspiracy allegedly
supply wholesale quantities of the imported cocaine to co-conspirators, who are
themselves street-level dealers or who supply other street-level dealers. It is
alleged that the leaders know each other, use the same network of Honduran
suppliers, and often retrieve cocaine from couriers intended for another leader
to pick up at a later time.
According to the affidavit, the
trafficking ring was discovered in autumn 2011 by law enforcement after the
investigation and arrest of Lindor Delis Martinez-Guevara, aka Lindo or Genero,
38, of Falls Church, Virginia; and Melcy Yalexsy Guevara-Barrera, aka Pedro or
Primo, 35, of Vienna, Virginia, by the Fairfax County Police Department. The
affidavit states that Lindor moved from Honduras to Virginia to deal cocaine
and that he was the person who came up with the idea to hide cocaine in frames.
Lindor; Melcy; Samuel Benitez-Pineda,
aka Wilfredo Benitez or Roque or Chiripa, 34, of Arlington, Virginia; and Jose
Fredy Delcid, aka Oscar Salgado or Oscar or Franklin or Chami or Matador, 34,
of Falls Church, Virginia, are some of the members of the conspiracy who
allegedly worked directly with sources of supply in Honduras to import cocaine
into the United States. They, in turn, allegedly worked with a large group of
people with and through whom they distributed the cocaine, including the
following individuals who were arrested by law enforcement:
■Hector Mauricio Amaya, aka Conejo or
Kaubil, 36, of Falls Church, Virginia
■Genis Jhesson Amaya-Pena, aka Jenis
Yexon Amaya-Pena or Flaco or Juanchope, 25, of Vienna, Virginia
■Marvin Eduardo Escobar Barrios, aka
Catracho or Garrobo, 37, of West Falls Church, Virginia
■Wilson Reniery Guevara, aka Wilsson R.
Guevara, 34, of Manassas, Virginia
■Joel Lopez, 41, of Springfield,
Virginia
■Annelo Argueta Reyes, aka Nelo, 35, of
Falls Church, Virginia
■Mario Noel Medina-Aguilar, aka Noel,
28, of Falls Church, Virginia
■Julio Giovanni Nolasco, aka Puma, 18,
of Falls Church Virginia
■Concepcion Benitez-Pineda, aka Conchi
or Concha, 38, of Arlington, Virginia
■Mario Benitez-Pineda, aka Chaparro or
Cuzuco, 42, of Falls Church, Virginia
■Santos Efrain Carbajal Benites, 24, of
Arlington, Virginia
■Angel Zelaya Lizama, aka El Diablo, 29,
of Falls Church, Virginia
■Jose Delores Vanegas, aka Chivito, 40,
of Arlington, Virginia
■Isaias Abrego-Mancia, 28, of Herndon,
Virginia
■Rudy Humberto Tabaro, aka Rudy Humberto
Tabara or Colocho, 30, of Lutherville, Maryland
■Edwin Espana Morales, 38, of Riverdale,
Maryland
■Jose Lorenzo Saravia, aka Jose
Saravia-Lozano, 40, of Manassas, Virginia
■FNU LNU, aka Alex or Gordito, of Falls
Church, Virginia
■Maria Florinda Benitez-Pineda, aka Flor
or Loli, 26, of Baltimore, Maryland
■Jose Maria Benites-Pineda, 32, of
Arlington, Virginia
■Jose Enrique Funez, aka Jose Enrique
Funz-Garay or Jose Enrique Funes-Garay or Rick, 40, of Norfolk, Virginia
■Martin Juarez-Lopez, 19, of Falls
Church, Virginia
■Gloria Elena Olivia Castro, 25, of
Springfield, Virginia
■Joaquin Avila-Rodriguez, aka Pollo, 40,
of Herndon, Virginia
Those named in the criminal complaint
were charged with conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine, which
carries a minimum mandatory of five years in prison and a maximum penalty of 40
years in prison.
In addition, the complaint affidavit
contains allegations that members of the conspiracy engaged in the distribution
of crack cocaine, money laundering, and various firearm offenses.
This ongoing investigation was led by
the FBI’s Washington Field Office, in partnership with the Fairfax County,
Arlington County, City of Falls Church, and Prince William County Police
Departments; Virginia State Police; Northern Virginia Gang Task Force; Drug
Enforcement Administration; U.S. Marshals Service; U.S. Postal Inspection
Service; and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security
Investigations.
The prosecution is being handled by
Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean P. Tonolli and Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys
Scott B. Nussbum and Emily M. Loeb.
Criminal complaints are only charges and
not evidence of guilt. A defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless
proven guilty.
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