United States Drug Enforcement Administration

Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Rose Esquilin Rios (34, Winter Haven) with conspiracy to commit wire fraud. If convicted, Esquilin Rios faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in federal prison. The indictment also notifies Esquilin Rios that the...

Tampa, FL – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of four indictments charging a total of 12 individuals with murder in furtherance of drug trafficking, conspiracy to commit drug trafficking, conspiracy to commit money laundering, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, illegal possession of firearms, and bank fraud...

MIAMI – On July 29, Jordan Curry, 42, an Australian national from Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE), pled guilty to participating in a conspiracy to launder money and import cocaine from South America through the United States to Australia. According to the agreed upon factual proffer, from 2019 to 2021...

MIAMI – Former British Virgin Islands (BVI) Premier Andrew Alturo Fahie was sentenced yesterday to 135 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Kathleen M. Williams after having been convicted at trial of cocaine trafficking and money laundering conspiracies for agreeing to facilitate the safe passage of tons of...

MIAMI—A former officer in the Venezuelan National Guard was sentenced today to one year and one day in prison for participating in a money laundering scheme that involved bribes to foreign officials and defrauding foreign financial institutions. According to court documents, Nepmar Jesus Escalona Enriquez, 47, of Fort Lauderdale, Fla...

TAMPA, Fla. – U.S. District Judge Mary S. Scriven sentenced Virginia Garcia Moreta (35, Tampa) and Hector Rodriguez Mendez (47, Tampa) to 70 and 63 months in federal prison, respectively, for conspiring to commit money laundering. As part of their sentences, the court also entered an order of forfeiture in...

TAMPA, Fla. – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announced the return of an indictment charging Luis Mojica Rojas, 45, of Zephyrhills, Florida, with conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl; conspiracy to commit international money laundering; possession of 400 grams or more of fentanyl with the intent...

TAMPA, Fla. – On March 16, 2022, Dr. Zachary Bird (51, Tampa) was sentenced to 24 months in federal prison, followed by 1 year of supervised release, for structuring cash transactions to evade bank reporting requirements. As part of his sentence, the Court also entered a money judgment in the...

MIAMI – Fredy Donaldo Marmol Vallejo (Marmol), 40, will make his initial appearance in federal court in Miami, Florida today after being extradited from Honduras, his country of origin. An indictment returned by a federal grand jury in the Southern District of Florida charges Marmol with conspiring to traffic narcotics...

MIAMI - The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the U.S. Department of State today announced a new reward for information that will lead to the location, arrest, and/or conviction of Colombian national Alvaro Pulido Vargas. A reward of up to $10 million dollars is being offered through the U.S...