Jacob Luis Bonilla-Rivera, Cocaine Conspiracy, Florida 2020

Kissimmee Man Faces Up to Life in Prison for Cocaine Conspiracy

A 27-year-old Kissimmee man has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute cocaine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of that drug conspiracy. Jacob Luis Bonilla-Rivera, of Kissimmee, Florida, faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 15 years, up to life, in federal prison.

According to the plea agreement, Bonilla-Rivera engaged in a series of phone calls with individuals he believed to be cocaine dealers but who were, in fact, undercover agents working on behalf of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). These discussions culminated in an agreement for Bonilla-Rivera to purchase 20 kilograms of cocaine in Orlando.

On September 16, 2020, HSI agents met with Bonilla-Rivera and a conspirator, Juan Omar Rodriguez, Jr. They showed the agents $600,000 in cash that they had transported in a hidden compartment in one of their vehicles. The agents then brought Bonilla-Rivera and Rodriguez to the 20 kilograms of cocaine they had arranged to purchase. After inspecting the cocaine, Bonilla-Rivera and Rodriguez returned to their car to retrieve the cash from the hidden compartment and were arrested.

Upon searching both vehicles, agents discovered that both Bonilla-Rivera and Rodriguez had loaded firearms, along with a total of $639,325 in cash. The arrest and subsequent search of the vehicles led to the charges against Bonilla-Rivera, who is currently awaiting sentencing.

Bonilla-Rivera’s co-defendant, Juan Omar Rodriguez, Jr., is currently scheduled for trial in January 2021.

The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, with assistance from the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dana E. Hill.

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