Luis Fuentes Amaya/Guatemala/Conspiracy to Distribute Cocaine

ICE New Orleans arrested Luis Fuentes Amaya, a citizen of Guatemala and an illegal alien residing in the United States, during a targeted enforcement action aimed at removing individuals involved in high-level drug trafficking operations that pose significant threats to public safety. Fuentes Amaya, forty-five, was apprehended following coordinated investigations that revealed his extensive role in the distribution of large quantities of narcotics destined for communities across the United States.

Fuentes Amaya’s criminal history includes a conviction for conspiracy to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine—a staggering volume of a highly addictive and dangerous Schedule II controlled substance. Court documents show that Fuentes Amaya played a key role in coordinating shipments, managing logistics, and maintaining connections with other drug traffickers in the narcotics trade. These operations often involved sophisticated methods of transportation and concealment designed to evade detection by law enforcement.

The scale of Fuentes Amaya’s crime underscores the profound damage caused by drug trafficking networks, which fuel addiction, violence, and instability in communities nationwide. Cocaine trafficking is frequently tied to transnational criminal organizations that profit from widespread drug dependency while engaging in violence, money laundering, and corruption. The 192-month federal prison sentence Fuentes Amaya received reflects the severity of his offense and the significant societal harm tied to his actions.

At the time of his arrest, Fuentes Amaya had no lawful immigration status and had not pursued any form of legal relief to remain in the United States. ICE officers apprehended him without incident and placed him into removal proceedings. He will remain in ICE custody while his case proceeds through the immigration courts, where his extensive criminal background and involvement in large-scale drug trafficking will be central factors in determining his future in the country.