San Diego Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing Cocaine with Intent to Distribute and Unlawful Firearm Possession

SAN DIEGO – Benito Lopez of San Diego pleaded guilty in federal court today to possession with intent to distribute more than two kilograms of cocaine and being a felon in possession of a firearm. Lopez admitted the nearly $60,000 that investigators seized from his residence were drug dealing proceeds and has agreed to forfeit that money to the United States.

According to court documents, officers with the San Diego Police Department’s Gang Suppression Unit were conducting surveillance at a residence occupied by Lopez. While surveilling the residence, officers observed Lopez approach three different vehicles to conduct what appeared to be hand-to-hand transactions in less than an hour. During each transaction, Lopez exchanged small white objects for money with the occupants of each vehicle.

A subsequent traffic stop of Lopez’s vehicle revealed him to be in possession of multiple bags containing golf-ball sized amounts of cocaine. At the time of the traffic stop, Lopez was on parole for a state drug trafficking conviction and subject to search as a condition of his parole. Investigators with the San Diego Police Department conducted a parole search of Lopez’s residence and found two additional kilograms of cocaine, digital scales, empty plastic baggies, a loaded firearm .40 caliber Smith & Wesson firearm, and $59,246.00.

As part of his plea agreement, Lopez admitted he intended to distribute the cocaine seized from his residence and that the cash investigators found was money he made selling drugs. Lopez further admitted to knowingly possessing the loaded Smith & Wesson firearm despite previously being convicted of a felony crime, including a 2023 conviction for unlawful firearm possession and a 2024 conviction for possession of cocaine for sale, as alleged in the criminal complaint.

DEFENDANT                                    Case Number 25CR2207

Benito Lopez                                      Age: 30                                   San Diego, CA

SUMMARY OF CHARGES

Possession with Intent to Distribute 500 Grams and More of Cocaine — 21 U.S.C. §841(a)(1)

Maximum Penalty: Forty years in prison with a minimum of five years in prison and a $5 million fine

Felon in Possession of a Firearm — 18 U.S.C. §922(g)(1)

Maximum Penalty: Fifteen years in prison and a $250,000 fine

INVESTIGATING AGENCIES

Drug Enforcement Administration

San Diego Police Department

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 gun violence and other violent crime, 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.  For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.