In a decisive move against drug trafficking activities in the District of Columbia and Maryland, Rodger Bonilla Vargas, a 39-year-old Honduran national, has been sentenced to 32 months in prison. According to a report by the U.S. Department of Justice, Bonilla Vargas was involved in maintaining a stash house for a cocaine trafficker, thereby facilitating the movement of substantial quantities of the drug in the region.
U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, along with various law enforcement leaders, announced the sentencing. Bonilla Vargas, also known as "Paki," had entered a guilty plea to charges of conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine. The court documents revealed that from March to August 2023, Bonilla Vargas conspired to sell over 771 grams of cocaine and nearly 12 grams of fentanyl. A U.S. District Court Judge also sentenced him to serve three years of supervised release and indicated he will likely face deportation after his prison term.
The documents sourced from the U.S. Department of Justice's website state that on August 18, 2023, Bonilla Vargas knowingly stored about 3.6 kilograms of cocaine at his residence in support of Cila Melgar Rodriguez's drug trafficking operation. Bonilla Vargas was previously arrested by ICE on charges of being present without admission and is currently under removal proceedings.
Two of Bonilla Vargas's co-conspirators have also been sentenced. According to the same report, Vladimir Roque Cerone and Erik Rivera Garcia have pleaded guilty to their respective charges and received their sentences earlier this year. The case was investigated and prosecuted under the VRTO, which aims to notably reduce violence and dismantle large-scale firearms and drug trafficking in the District.
The coordinated investigative efforts of the DEA, FBI, HSI, and ICE were instrumental in bringing these individuals to justice, enabling the VRTO to fulfill its mission. The prosecuting team, consisting of Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ernesto J. Alvarado, Timothy J. Coley, and Adam Stempel, emphasized the importance of long- and medium-term criminal investigations focusing on violent and armed groups, as well as repeat offenders in their efforts to combat drug trafficking.
