Alaskan Cocaine Smugglers Busted

Alaska’s streets are a little bit safer after two men were sentenced for their roles in a massive cocaine and marijuana smuggling operation.

Jorge Lopez-Villareal, a 29-year-old Mexican national from Juneau, was sentenced to three years in prison, followed by four years of supervised release, for his role in the crime. Lopez-Villareal pleaded guilty to drug conspiracy charges. His co-conspirator, Carlos Zavala-Flores, 39, of Juneau, was previously sentenced in June 2018 to serve three years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for the same charges.

According to court documents, Lopez-Villareal and Zavala-Flores flew from Juneau to Los Angeles on April 19, 2017. The two were then traveling up the I-5 in a vehicle when they were stopped by Oregon State Police on April 26, 2017. During the traffic stop, the Trooper noticed a strong odor of fabric softener and marijuana emanating from the vehicle.

When questioned, Zavala-Flores revealed that both he and Lopez-Villareal intended to drive the vehicle up the I-5 to Seattle, where they would ship the vehicle to Juneau and then fly up to Juneau via commercial airline. A subsequent search of the vehicle revealed approximately 6.8 pounds of cocaine and 22 pounds of marijuana intended for distribution in Juneau.

A search of Lopez-Villareal also turned up $6,750 in U.S. currency. The investigation leading to the successful prosecution of this case was conducted by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and Oregon State Police (OSP). The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jack S. Schmidt.

The sentencing of these two men is a major victory for law enforcement in the fight against drug trafficking in Alaska. The consequences of these crimes are severe, and we hope that this sentencing will serve as a deterrent to others who would seek to engage in similar activities.

The investigation and prosecution of this case are a testament to the hard work and dedication of the law enforcement agencies involved. We will continue to work tirelessly to keep our communities safe and to bring those who would seek to harm them to justice.