News
Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 18, 2009
Contact: Thomas E. Murphy
Number: (314)538-4660
Two
Mexican Nationals Sentenced For Large-Scale
Cocaine Conspiracy Government Alleges
$10 Million Worth Of Cocaine Smuggled
From Mexico
NOV
18 -- (Kansas City, MO) – Matt
J. Whitworth, United States Attorney
for the Western District of Missouri,
announced that two Mexican nationals
were sentenced in federal court today
for their roles in a large-scale conspiracy
to distribute cocaine. The government
believes more than $10 million worth
of cocaine was smuggled from Mexico
for distribution in the Kansas City
metropolitan area.
Felipe
Garcia-Lopez, also known as Eduardo
Zazueta, 29, and Humberto Saucedo-Lobatos,
28, both citizens of Mexico residing
in Kansas City, Mo., were sentenced
by U.S. Chief District Judge Fernando
J. Gaitan this morning. Garcia-Lopez
was sentenced to 10 years in federal
prison without parole. Saucedo-Lobatos
was sentenced to nine years in federal
prison without parole. The court also
ordered Garcia-Lopez and Saucedo-Lobatos
to forfeit to the government $151,430
that was seized by law enforcement officers.
On
March 17, 2009, Garcia-Lopez and Saucedo-Lobatos
each pleaded guilty to conspiracy to
distribute more than five kilograms
of cocaine.
On
Oct. 7, 2008, Drug Enforcement Administration
agents followed a 2004 Toyota minivan
from a Kansas City, Kan., hotel to a
Kansas City, Mo., residence. They contacted
Saucedo-Lobatos at the residence and
received his consent to search the residence.
During the search, they found Garcia-Lopez
hiding under the minivan, which was
parked in the garage, and Garcia-Lopez
and Saucedo-Lobatos were arrested. Early
the next morning, officers executed
a search warrant at the residence and
discovered 46 bundles of powder cocaine,
which were contained in various other
bags (such as a suitcase and duffel
bag), in a bedroom closet. They also
found a high-power semi-automatic handgun,
14 duct-taped bundles of cash totaling
$151,430, an electronic money counter,
and documents that appeared to be drug
notes and accounting computations in
excess of $10 million.
The
total amount of cocaine seized from
a hidden compartment in the minivan
and from the residence was 86.15 kilograms.
The government believes the drug ledger
recovered from the residence records
drug dealing in excess of 150 kilograms
of cocaine.
This
case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S.
Attorney Joseph M. Marquez. It was investigated
by the Drug Enforcement Administration.
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