CHRISTIANSTED — A Costa Rican man who smuggled over 4,000 pounds of marijuana into U.S. territorial waters got just over three years in prison from a federal judge.
Luis Orellana-Orellana, 59, of San José, was sentenced to 37 months incarceration after pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute over 4,000 pounds of marijuana on board a vessel subject to jurisdiction of the United States, U.S. Attorney Delia L. Smith said.
According to court documents, on November 7, 2022, while patrolling in international
waters in the Eastern Pacific, 65 nautical miles South of Boca Chica, Panama, the United States
Coast Guard Cutter Campbell intercepted a go-fast vessel with no physical flag flown and no
registration documents onboard.
Bundles of contraband were visible on the deck of the go-fast vessel and Orellana-Orellana, Keyran Coto-Lopez and Alonso Hernandez-Hernandez were found on board.
One of the three men on board claimed Colombian nationality for the go-fast vessel, but
the Colombian government neither confirmed nor denied nationality of the vessel.
A search of the go-fast vessel by Coast Guard officers resulted in the recovery of 4,104 pounds of marijuana.
Coto-Lopez was sentenced by a federal judge to 48 months following his guilty plea. Hernandez-Hernandez is still waiting for a sentencing date.
This case was investigated by the United States Coast Guard and U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa Ortiz.