BALTIMORE — Fabricio Garces-Bedoya, 53, of Ecuador, has pleaded guilty to importing heroin into the United States with the intent to distribute it in the District of Maryland, according to U.S. Attorney Kelly O. Hayes and HSI Special Agent in Charge Michael S. McCarthy.
According to the plea agreement, Garces-Bedoya acted as a foreign supplier for a Maryland-based drug trafficking organization (DTO). While in Ecuador, he assisted a courier in repackaging heroin into small bundles. The courier ingested and taped the packages to their body before flying to the United States.
Upon arrival, the courier was flagged by U.S. Customs and Border Protection and a narcotics K-9. Authorities discovered 584.5 grams of heroin concealed on the courier.
Garces-Bedoya now faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison. His sentence will be determined by a federal judge, based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other legal factors.
U.S. Attorney Hayes praised the work of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stanton Lawyer and Kenneth Clark for prosecuting the case.
