LOS ANGELES
A federal jury found a resident of Tecate, Mexico guilty of federal drug trafficking charges for piloting a “panga” boat stuffed with nearly two tons of marijuana from Ensenada to Santa Barbara County in California, authorities announced Wednesday.
Following a three-day trial, 24-year-old Jose Guadalupe Zepeda-Ramirez, was found guilty last week of two felony counts – conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute marijuana and possession with the intent to distribute marijuana, according to officials.
Zepeda and another man – Miguel Rodriguez-Doranme, 39, of La Paz, Mexico – were found on March 27 near a panga that had landed on a private beach near Hollister Ranch, which is just west of Gaviota, according to the evidence.
A panga is an open-bowed fishing vessel that is often used by smugglers bringing marijuana north from Mexico.
According to the evidence presented at Zepeda’s trial, the two men brought the marijuana from Ensenada during a six-day journey. The men had planned to meet a second crew that would off-load the marijuana for further distribution.
The plan was thwarted when Zepeda and Rodriquez were spotted while landing on Alegria Beach. They were detained by a Hollister Ranch security guard until law enforcement arrived, according to officials.
The investigation revealed that the panga was carrying more than 3,650 pounds of marijuana.
U.S. District Judge Manuel Real, who presided over the trial in Los Angeles, set sentencing for Sept. 19.
As a result of his conviction on the two charges, Zepeda faces up to life in prison.
Rodriguez, who previously pleaded guilty to the conspiracy count, is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 1. He is facing up to 20 years in prison.
“This case and the subsequent conviction are a direct result of the ongoing collaborative efforts by HSI, together with its federal and local partners, to detect and deter maritime smuggling,” said Edward Owens, deputy special agent in charge for Homeland Security Investigations in Los Angeles. “Maritime smuggling poses both a security and a public safety concern and we’re continuing to use all of the resources and tools at our disposal to address this threat.”