Ismael Ortiz-Vargas, Cocaine Trafficking, Indiana 2022

Notorious Cocaine Trafficker Sentenced in Indiana

About 60 months of freedom has been taken away from Ismael Ortiz-Vargas, a 37-year-old man from Bristol, Connecticut. Ortiz-Vargas was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Robert L. Miller, Jr. after pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute cocaine.

On November 2022, the car Ortiz-Vargas was driving was stopped on the Indiana Toll Road and police discovered that he was transporting a kilogram of cocaine from Connecticut to Wisconsin to sell in Milwaukee. The stop came after an arrest warrant had been issued for a violation of his federal supervised release based on his previous federal conviction for possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and possession with intent to distribute cocaine and marijuana.

Ortiz-Vargas’s actions are a stark reminder of the dangers of cocaine trafficking and the importance of law enforcement efforts to combat it. The United States Drug Enforcement Administration, with the assistance of the Indiana State Police as part of a High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) program, investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Molly E. Donnelly prosecuted the case.

Ortiz-Vargas was sentenced to 60 months in prison followed by 4 years of supervised release. His case serves as a warning to those involved in cocaine trafficking: our courts will not hesitate to hold perpetrators accountable.

The people of Indiana can rest a little easier knowing that Ortiz-Vargas will be behind bars for the next five years. The Grimy Times will continue to report on this and other cases of cocaine trafficking in our region.

Defendant: Ismael Ortiz-Vargas, 37, Bristol, Connecticut
Criminal Charges: Possession with intent to distribute cocaine
City and State: South Bend, Indiana
Exact Date: November 2022
Sentence or Outcome: 60 months in prison, 4 years supervised release
Dollar Amounts: $0

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