HOUSTON, Texas – In a brazen maritime smuggling venture, three foreign nationals are facing up to life imprisonment after pleading guilty to smuggling nearly 1,300 kilograms of cocaine on the high seas.
Herman Julio Cuenu Valencia, a 34-year-old Colombian national, pleaded guilty today, while Ricardo Alberto Parraga Mendoza, a 31-year-old Ecuadoran national, and Jose Luis Landazuri Valdes, a 24-year-old Colombian national, entered their pleas in November.
On July 3, 2018, the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Mohawk detected a 47-foot low-profile go-fast boat 300 nautical miles northeast of the Galapagos Islands, leading to the discovery of 38 bales of cocaine weighing approximately 1,280 kilograms in the hold of the boat.
The three crewmen were taken into custody and transported to Florida, where they were charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine on a vessel in the high seas in violation of the Maritime Drug Law Enforcement Act and the Drug Trafficking Vessel Interdiction Act of 2008.
This is the first such prosecution in the Southern District of Texas following a change in the law allowing any jurisdiction in the United States to prosecute such smugglers.
All three defendants remain in custody pending their sentencing hearings, set for April 26, 2019, before U.S. District Judge Ewing Werlein. At that time, each defendant faces a minimum of 10 years and up to life in federal prison and a possible $10 million fine.
The investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the U.S. Coast Guard, with Assistant U.S. Attorneys Edward Gallagher and Jimmy Leo prosecuting the case.
Key Facts
- State: Texas
- Category: Drug Trafficking
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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