Boston Man Pleads Guilty to Cocaine Charges in Louisiana
A Boston man has pleaded guilty to cocaine trafficking charges in Louisiana after a traffic stop in Hammond, Tangipahoa Parish, on April 8, 2013, revealed a hidden compartment containing 6.48 kilograms of cocaine.
Maximo Stiven Bernabel-Pena, 24, was pulled over by Louisiana State Police Troopers for a traffic violation and subsequently searched. A K-9 drug detection dog alerted to the presence of narcotics, leading to the discovery of the cocaine in a hidden compartment beneath the flooring of the vehicle.
The investigation, known as ‘Operation Holy Trap,’ was an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) case that involved drug activity in Georgia, Florida, Massachusetts, Texas, and Louisiana, and resulted in the seizure of over 70 kilograms of cocaine and approximately $1,000,000 in drug proceeds.
Bernabel-Pena faces a minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years, a maximum term of imprisonment of life, a maximum fine of $10,000,000, at least five years of supervised release after imprisonment, and a $100 special assessment. He was also found to be in possession of $2,921 in U.S. currency, which was the proceeds of illegal drug activity.
The investigation was led by the Department of Homeland Security (Border Enforcement Security Task Force, BEST, New Orleans) and the Louisiana State Police, with the assistance of the FBI, DEA, and other agencies.
Bernabel-Pena’s guilty plea is a significant blow to the national cocaine trafficking organization, which was overseen by Edwin Rivera, a/k/a Neno, a/k/a Nano. The investigation is ongoing, and further arrests are expected.
Related Federal Cases
- Yaidel Placido Salvador, Cocaine Distribution Conspiracy, Louisiana 2026 · Louisiana
- Michael Calzadias, Cocaine Trafficking, Texas 2023 · Florida
- Javier Guerra, Cocaine Trafficking, Texas 2018 · Florida
- Efrain Colon-Garcia, Cocaine Trafficking, Rhode Island 2020 · Florida
- Amgen Pays $71M for Pushing Drugs Off-Label · Alaska
Key Facts
- State: Louisiana
- Category: Drug Trafficking
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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