In Birmingham, Alabama, two men from Colombia have been handed prison sentences for their involvement in cocaine trafficking, as announced by U.S. Attorney Phillip Williams Jr.
Johan Zapata-Valencia and Christian Lugo-Beltran, both 26 years old, received 57-month sentences after pleading guilty to charges of possession with intent to distribute cocaine.
The case unfolded on February 6, 2025, when a Calera police officer, on routine patrol, observed suspicious activity at a Chevron gas station. The officer noted that the vehicle, driven by the defendants, departed the Chevron without refueling and proceeded to a Valero gas station across the street to fill up.
Following this unusual behavior, the officer alerted a fellow Calera officer who was stationed on I-65. This second officer then initiated a traffic stop due to an inoperable tag light. Upon requesting identification, it was revealed that neither Zapata-Valencia nor Lugo-Beltran possessed a driver’s license, despite traveling from Los Angeles to Miami. The situation prompted the officer to ask Zapata-Valencia to exit the vehicle. A probable cause search of the car led to the discovery of a suitcase hidden under a blanket in the trunk, which contained 21 individually wrapped bricks of cocaine.