Alleged Drug Kingpin Charged in Largest Methamphetamine Seizure in Colorado History; Feds Indict 15

Description: Federal prosecutors announce indictments of 15 individuals tied to over 1,000 pounds of meth seized in Colorado. One defendant faces a federal “drug kingpin” charge.

Alleged Drug Kingpin Charged in Largest Methamphetamine Seizure in Colorado History; Feds Indict 15

DENVER – The United States Attorney for the District of Colorado announces that 15 individuals were indicted by a federal grand jury in connection with the largest methamphetamine seizure in Colorado history.  One defendant is facing the so-called ‘drug kingpin’ charge as an alleged leader of a drug trafficking organization.

Defendants named in the indictment include: Marco Antonio De Silva Lara, Sergio Ivan  Arce Lopez, Juan Luis Cabrera Saucedo, Luis Enrique Lopez Lopez, Rigoberto Aranda, Erik Alejandro Benitez Chavez, Robert Shane Gerstner, Joseph Ricardo Menzor, William Joseph Rollins, Brittney Pierce, Francisco Javier Armenta Barraza, Jamie Cash Hoover, Cesar Andres Huizar Guerra, and Trenton Anthony Thompson. Eleven of these defendants are in federal custody, while the remaining defendants are believed to remain in Mexico.

As detailed in the complaint, federal wiretaps, extensive surveillance, undercover operations, and swift enforcement efforts led to the seizure of more than 1,000 pounds of methamphetamine linked to this organization, including the following:

• In December 2024, agents seized 96 pounds of methamphetamine from a member of the organization on a Greyhound Bus in Vail, Colorado.
• In February 2025, 101 pounds of methamphetamine and a half kilogram of fentanyl powder were seized from another member of the organization on a highway in Colorado.
• In April 2025, over 700 pounds of methamphetamine was seized from a residence in Lakewood, Colorado, along with freezers, propane tanks, and other equipment consistent with methamphetamine manufacturing or conversion.  Investigators found thousands of packages of methamphetamine concealed in the corners of containers of fruit.
• In August 2025, nearly 50 pounds of methamphetamine was seized from a residence in Arvada, Colorado.

All 15 defendants face drug charges which carry a potential sentence of no less than ten years and up to life in federal prison.  Four of the defendants are charged with money laundering, which carries a potential sentence of up to 20 years in federal prison. Marco Antonio De Silva Lara is charged with operating a Continuing Criminal Enterprise in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 848(a), commonly known as the ‘drug kingpin’ charge. This charge carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years and up to life in prison.

“This successful investigation boasts the largest methamphetamine seizure in Colorado history and intercepted more than 1,000 pounds of methamphetamine before it could be distributed into our community,” said United States Attorney for the District of Colorado Peter McNeilly. “This investigation showcases what we are able to accomplish when we combine the resources, tools, and expertise of federal agencies with the passion, experience, and sweat equity of local law enforcement officers.”

The investigation is being handled by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations. The Adams County Sheriff’s Office, the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, and the Arvada Police Department each made significant contributions to this case.

This operation is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders.

In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States.

The Rocky Mountain HSTF comprises agents and officers from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Internal Revenue Service, Office of Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), United States Marshals Service (USMS), Diplomatic Security Service (DSS), United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement / Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE/ERO) with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado.

The Transnational Organized Crime and Money Laundering Section of the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado is handling the prosecutions.

The charges contained in the indictments are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Tweet

Image Gallery