San Diego’s Benito Lopez, 30, has entered a guilty plea in federal court for possessing more than two kilograms of cocaine with intent to distribute and being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to court documents, investigators seized nearly $60,000 from his residence, which Lopez admitted were drug proceeds.
Lopez’s surveillance by the San Diego Police Department’s Gang Suppression Unit revealed him engaging in suspicious transactions with three separate vehicles within an hour. During these exchanges, he swapped small white objects for cash. A subsequent traffic stop uncovered golf-ball-sized cocaine amounts, further leading to a parole search of his residence where two additional kilograms of cocaine, digital scales, empty baggies, and a .40 caliber Smith & Wesson firearm were found.
Lopez was on parole for a state drug trafficking conviction at the time of the incident. His plea agreement includes admitting to intending to distribute the cocaine and acknowledging the cash as drug proceeds. He also confessed to possessing the loaded firearm, despite previous felony convictions including unlawful firearm possession in 2023 and cocaine possession for sale in 2024.
The defendant faces a maximum penalty of forty years in prison and a $5 million fine for the cocaine charge, and an additional fifteen years and a $250,000 fine for being a felon in possession of a firearm. The case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program dedicated to reducing gun violence and violent crime.
Benito Lopez, Case Number 25CR2207, stands accused under 21 U.S.C. §841(a)(1) for Possession with Intent to Distribute 500 Grams and More of Cocaine and 18 U.S.C. §922(g)(1) for Felon in Possession of a Firearm.
Investigating agencies include the Drug Enforcement Administration and the San Diego Police Department.
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Key Facts
- State: California
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Fraud & Financial Crimes|Violent Crime|Weapons|Organized Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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