Guatemalan ‘La Tia’ Extradited to Tampa on Cocaine Charges

Tampa, FL – In a major blow to international drug trafficking, Guatemalan national Alma Lucrecia Hernandez-Preciado, also known as ‘La Tia,’ was extradited to Tampa, Florida, to face federal charges related to cocaine smuggling.

The 40-year-old Hernandez-Preciado was extradited from Guatemala following an indictment returned on September 22, 2011, charging her with violations of the Maritime Drug Law Enforcement Act. If convicted, she faces a maximum penalty of life in federal prison.

According to the indictment, Hernandez-Preciado was involved in a conspiracy with others, including individuals on a vessel subject to U.S. jurisdiction, to possess with intent to distribute and distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine. The charges also include aiding and abetting others with respect to the possession with intent to distribute the same amount of cocaine.

The indictment stems from Hernandez-Preciado’s role in organizing the maritime smuggling of cocaine shipments, including a notorious venture where the crew of a go-fast boat was interdicted by the U.S. Coast Guard off the coast of Guatemala on May 18, 2011. During the interdiction, 347 kilograms of cocaine were seized.

An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal laws, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.

The case was investigated by the Panama Express Strike Force, an OCDETF-funded operation targeting maritime smuggling. Participating agencies include the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service (CGIS), the Joint Interagency Task Force – South (JIATFS), and the U.S. Marshals Service, with assistance from the government of Guatemala and Guatemalan law enforcement agencies.

The case will be prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew Jackson and W. Stephen Muldrow. The extradition of Hernandez-Preciado marks a significant victory in the ongoing fight against international drug trafficking and is a testament to the collaborative efforts of law enforcement agencies in the United States and Guatemala.

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