Two Colombian Nationals in the United States Illegally Sentenced for Trafficking Cocaine

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Two Colombian nationals who were in the United States illegally have been sentenced for trafficking cocaine, announced U.S. Attorney Phillip W. Williams Jr.

U.S. District Judge Liles C. Burke sentenced Johan Leandro Zapata-Valencia, 26, and Christian Yesid Lugo-Beltran, 26, each to 57 months in prison. Zapata-Valencia and Lugo-Beltran had 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."

"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."

According to the plea agreements, on February 6, 2025, an officer with the Calera Police Department was on routine patrol when he noticed suspicious behavior by the defendants at a Chevron gas station in Calera, Alabama. After noticing the patrol car, the defendants left Chevron without pumping gas. The officer continued to watch Zapata-Valencia and Lugo-Beltran. They drove across the street to the Valero gas station to get gas. The officer radioed another Calera police officer who was sitting on Interstate 65. A short time later, that second officer conducted a traffic stop for an inoperable tag light. The officer asked for identification, but neither defendant had a driver's license. The defendants were driving from Los Angeles, California, to Miami, Florida. The officer then asked Zapata-Valencia to exit the vehicle. During a probable cause search for the vehicle, officers discovered a suitcase in the trunk hidden beneath a blanket. Inside the suitcase were 21 individually wrapped bricks of cocaine.

Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case along with the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, and the Calera Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Brittany T. Byrd prosecuted the case.