New York Man Sentenced To 10 Years’ Imprisonment For Cocaine Trafficking

HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Esteban Latorre-Cacho, age 38, of Lockport, New York, was sentenced on July 13, 2023, by U.S. District Court Judge Christopher C. Conner, to 10 years’ imprisonment on the charge of possession with intent to distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine.

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Latorre-Cacho previously pleaded guilty and admitted to possessing 67 kilograms of cocaine for further distribution. The charge stems from an incident on April 30, 2021, in which members of the Pennsylvania State Police made a traffic stop of a vehicle in Lehigh County.  Latorre-Cacho was the sole occupant of the vehicle.  A subsequent search of the vehicle resulted in the seizure of 67 kilograms of cocaine, with a street-value of approximately two million dollars, found hidden inside boxes within the vehicle.  Further investigation showed that Latorre-Cacho had picked up the boxes containing the cocaine at a location within the Middle District of Pennsylvania.  

The investigation was conducted by the Pennsylvania State Police and the Drug Enforcement Administration.  Assistant United States Attorney Robert J. O’Hara prosecuted the case.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

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