In a significant drug trafficking case, Henry Aguirre-Valois, a 36-year-old Colombian national, has been sentenced to 16 years in federal prison. As reported by the U.S. Department of Justice, Aguirre-Valois pleaded guilty on May 24, 2024, to conspiring to possess with intent to distribute a substantial quantity of cocaine on a vessel that falls under U.S. jurisdiction.
The capture took place on November 20, 2023, when Aguirre-Valois, along with three co-defendants, was intercepted transporting 2,523 kilograms of cocaine. The wholesale value of the seized drugs is estimated to be around $75 million. The operation to aggressively pursue and capture these individuals was undertaken in international waters, approximately 170 nautical miles west of Ecuador, by members of the United States Coast Guard Cutter Waesche.
Aguirre-Valois is no stranger to such criminal activities, having previously been convicted and sentenced in 2019 for a similar offense. The successful seizure and prosecution stem from the work of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, known as the Panama Express Strike Force. This dedicated team works side-by-side to disrupt and dismantle the operations of significant drug traffickers and transnational criminal organizations.
The investigative team is made up of agents and officers hailing from the Coast Guard Investigative Service, Drug Enforcement Administration, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Homeland Security Investigations. The prosecution was handled by the United States Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Florida, with Assistant United States Attorney David Pardo leading the charge.
