Jose Armando Ubico Aguilar, a former Guatemalan congressman, has been sentenced to 18 years in federal prison for his involvement in an international drug trafficking operation. The sentencing was announced by Acting U.S. Attorney Abe McGlothin, Jr. of the Eastern District of Texas.
Ubico Aguilar, 45, pleaded guilty to his role in a drug trafficking conspiracy that facilitated the shipment of cocaine into the United States. U.S. District Judge Michael Truncale sentenced him to 216 months (18 years) in federal prison on February 11, 2025.
Ubico Aguilar served as an elected member of the Congress of the Republic of Guatemala from 2016 to 2024, including his role as the President of the National Defense Committee from 2018 to 2023. His position of power allowed him to broker and facilitate the illicit trafficking of cocaine into the U.S.
Acting U.S. Attorney McGlothin highlighted the importance of holding corrupt officials accountable, saying, “The sentencing of this corrupt Guatemalan official who brokered and facilitated cocaine shipments into the United States while betraying his country shows our commitment to dismantling Transnational Criminal Organizations.”
Dallas DEA Special Agent in Charge Eduardo A. Chávez also emphasized the message sent to international drug traffickers: “This sentence reflects our continued resolve to fight greed, violence, and public corruption.”