A federal indictment unsealed in San Diego last week has charged 13 Guatemalan nationals as part of a significant cocaine trafficking organization, reports U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). According to the indictment, the organization operates from La Mesilla and Democracia, Huehuetenango, in Guatemala, near the Guatemala-Mexico border.
On the heels of the unsealing, revelations came forth that Baldemar Calderon-Carrillo, the lead defendant in the indictment and known as “Don Valde,” was allegedly killed in a shootout with Mexican authorities earlier this month. ICE reports that the U.S. agents are working to confirm the details of Calderon-Carrillo's death. The incident, which was captured on video, made rounds on various news outlets and social media, showing an intense exchange of gunfire with the drug traffickers.
The trajectory of this case saw a major development last year when Edgar Yovani Calderon-Calderon, "Panon," and the son of Calderon-Carrillo, was extradited from France to the United States. Calderon-Calderon pleaded guilty to international cocaine distribution conspiracy charges in February, implicating himself in a scheme involving at least 550 kilograms of the illicit substance intended for U.S. streets.
Edgar Yovani's cooperation with U.S. authorities has provided insight into the intricate operation of this Guatemalan organization. As part of his plea, Calderon-Calderon admitted that, from at least 2017 to May 2019, he played an active role in trafficking cocaine on behalf of the network, which was transported across the Guatemala-Mexico border before being smuggled into the United States. Last month, he was sentenced to 87 months in prison, representing a substantial takedown by the U.S. authorities but also serving as a stark reminder of the ongoing war against drug trafficking.
