San Diego, California – A Guatemalan national has been sentenced to 14 years in prison for managing a cocaine trafficking organization that smuggled over 1,000 pounds of cocaine into the United States from Guatemala.
Arnoldo Oswaldo Vargas-Samayoa, a Guatemalan national, was sentenced in federal court on [date] to 14 years in prison for managing a cocaine trafficking organization that smuggled more than 1,000 pounds of cocaine into the United States from Guatemala.
Following his surrender to U.S. authorities in June 2024 at Los Angeles International Airport, Vargas-Samayoa pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy to import cocaine that were filed in January 2020.
In imposing sentence, U.S. District Judge Cathy Ann Bencivengo noted that Vargas-Samayoa was a “manager of a very extensive international drug ring” and money laundering effort who did not make a “mistake” but rather “chose a lifestyle.”
Vargas admitted he sourced the cocaine from two different Guatemalan suppliers and coordinated delivery to a Mexico-based drug trafficker. Vargas and the Mexico-based trafficker arranged for the drugs to be hidden in vehicles and smuggled into the United States through ports of entry in Southern California and Southern Texas.
“Cocaine continues to be a dangerous and highly addictive drug with devastating consequences for individuals and communities,” said U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon. “We remain committed to dismantling the entire supply chain—from powerful cartel leaders to street-level dealers—and ensuring that those responsible are held accountable.”
Vargas received a commission of $1,000 U.S. dollars for each kilogram of cocaine he delivered to the Mexico-based trafficker. The U.S. Attorney’s office has previously convicted, and the court has sentenced, multiple couriers attempting to smuggle narcotics for the same drug trafficking organization as well as individuals engaged in related money laundering efforts.
Vargas’ father, Arnoldo Vargas Estrada, is the former mayor of Zacapa, Guatemala who was convicted by a jury in the Eastern District of New York in Case No. 90cr00855-SJF of five counts related to the importation of narcotics. He was sentenced to 365-months in custody. Vargas Estrada was one of the first Guatemalan drug traffickers to be extradited to the United States in the early 1990’s and was released in 2017.
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Key Facts
- State: California
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Organized Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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