2 Colombian men sentenced to nearly 5 years prison for cocaine trafficking

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WBRC) – Two men from Colombia have been sentenced for trafficking cocaine, according to U.S. Attorney Phillip W. Williams Jr.

A federal judge sentenced 26-year-old Johan Leandro Zapata-Valencia and 26-year-old Christian Yesid Lugo-Beltran to 57 months in prison. Both of them pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute cocaine.

“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 court documents, an officer with the Calera Police Department was on patrol when he noticed suspicious behavior by the two men at a gas station in the city.

Police said after noticing the patrol car, the two left the gas station without pumping gas. The officer on patrol continued to observe the men as they drove to another gas station across the street.

Another officer on Interstate 65 later conducted a traffic stop on the car for an inoperable tag light. When the officer asked for identification, neither of the men had a driver’s license.

During a probable cause search of the vehicle, officers discovered a suitcase in the trunk hidden under a blanket. Inside, they found 21 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.”

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