BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Two Colombian nationals who were in the United States illegally have each been sentenced to 57 months in federal prison after police discovered 21 kilograms of cocaine in their vehicle during a traffic stop in Calera, Alabama, U.S. Attorney Phillip W. Williams Jr. announced.
U.S. District Judge Liles C. Burke handed down the sentences against Johan Leandro Zapata-Valencia, 26, and Christian Yesid Lugo-Beltran, 26, both of whom had pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute cocaine. The two were driving from Los Angeles, California, to Miami, Florida, when a Calera Police Department officer noticed suspicious behavior at a Chevron gas station.
“This case represents the best of local law enforcement. The officers saw something, followed up, and were ultimately able to get 21 kilograms of cocaine off our interstates,” said U.S. Attorney Phil Williams. “Illegal aliens have no place in this country, especially when trafficking major quantities of narcotics.”
According to the plea agreements, a Calera officer on routine patrol noticed the defendants at the Chevron station. After spotting the patrol car, Zapata-Valencia and Lugo-Beltran left without pumping gas and drove across the street to a Valero station. The officer radioed a second Calera officer stationed on Interstate 65, who conducted a traffic stop for an inoperable tag light. Neither defendant had a driver’s license. During a probable cause search, officers found a suitcase in the trunk hidden beneath a blanket containing 21 individually wrapped bricks of cocaine.
“Twenty-one kilograms of cocaine is not just a number — it represents a significant threat to the safety and well-being of our communities,” said Steven N. Schrank, the Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Georgia and Alabama. “This case demonstrates HSI’s unwavering commitment to working with our law enforcement partners to keep dangerous drugs and the violence they fuel off our streets. We will continue to relentlessly pursue those who seek to profit from trafficking poison into our neighborhoods and hold them accountable.”
Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case alongside the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency and the Calera Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Brittany T. Byrd prosecuted the case. Both defendants now face 57 months in federal prison followed by removal proceedings.