Two Men Indicted for Conspiracy to Import Cocaine from Mexico

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Said Imberly Chino Lucero, 28, a permanent resident of the United States residing in San Juan, Mexico, and Carlos Andres Herrera-Fernandez, 35, of Lanham, Maryland, were indicted today by a federal grand jury on charges of conspiracy to import and the importation of cocaine into the United States and possession with intent to distribute cocaine.

According to court records, the defendants were arrested October 5, after Chino Lucero attempted to bring 500 grams or more of cocaine into the U.S. through Dulles International Airport.  The cocaine was allegedly contained in packaging for candy which Chino Lucero smuggled in his luggage onto a commercial flight.  Herrera-Fernandez is identified as a co-conspirator in this scheme.

Herrera-Fernandez and Chino Lucero each face a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison and a maximum penalty of 40 years in prison if convicted of each count. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; and Clark E. Settles, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, made the announcement after the grand jury returned the indictment. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Raizza K. Ty is prosecuting the case.

A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.  Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:16-cr-250.

An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.