Extensive coordination and cooperation between U.S. and Honduran law enforcement authorities resulted in the extradition of a Honduran national for his alleged role in a conspiracy to smuggle drugs from Honduras to the United States.
According to court documents, Olvin Javier Velasquez Maldonado, 39, conspired with others to bring approximately 24 kilograms of cocaine from Honduras to the United States aboard a vessel attempting to bring 23 Honduran aliens illegally into the United States.
In February 2022, the U.S. Coast Guard interdicted the M/V Pop, a 65’ sportfishing vessel, approximately 75 miles off the coast of Louisiana, after it developed engine trouble and lost power.
The U.S. Coast Guard responded, found the aliens and cocaine, and towed the vessel to shore.
The M/V Pop departed from Utila, Honduras, and was destined for Cocodrie, Louisiana. Velasquez Maldonado was allegedly responsible for bringing the cocaine on board the M/V Pop and ensuring its safe delivery.
When he was apprehended, according to court documents, Velasquez Maldonado posed as an alien intending to remain in the United States so he could avoid prosecution.
Velasquez Maldonado is charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine. Velasquez Maldonado made his initial court appearance today in the Eastern District of Louisiana.
He was detained and will have his detention hearing on Monday. If convicted, Velasquez Maldonado faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison and a maximum penalty of life in prison.
A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Co-defendants Carl Allison, 47, Darrel Martinez, 41, and Josue Flores-Villeda, 37, previously pleaded guilty in 2023 to conspiracy to unlawfully bring aliens to the United States for financial gain and conspiracy to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine hydrochloride.
Lenord Cooper, 40, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to aid and assist aliens to enter the United States unlawfully and attempting to bring aliens to the United States for commercial advantage and private financial gain.
Two co-defendants, Hennessy Devon Cooper Zelaya, 29, and Rudy Jackson Hernandez, 38, were convicted after trial of one count of conspiracy to unlawfully bring aliens to the United States for commercial advantage and private financial gain and two counts of attempting to bring aliens to the United States for commercial advantage and private financial gain. Â
The investigation and extradition of Velasquez Maldonado were coordinated under Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA) and the Extraterritorial Criminal Travel Strike Force (ECT) Program.
JTFA, a partnership with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), has been elevated and expanded by the Attorney General with a mandate to target cartels and transnational criminal organizations to eliminate human smuggling and trafficking networks operating in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Panama, and Colombia that impact public safety and the security of our borders.
