MIAMI, Florida – A 51-year-old Guatemalan man accused of belonging to a drug trafficking organization has been extradited from Guatemala to the Southern District of Florida to face federal cocaine charges, federal prosecutors said.
Mauro Ismael Morales Martinez, also known as “Melito,” is charged with conspiring to distribute cocaine. Court records say the conspiracy spanned four countries and ran from 2012 through 2023.
What the charge says
According to court records, Morales Martinez conspired with others as part of a drug trafficking organization operating in Colombia, Venezuela, Honduras, Guatemala and Mexico. Prosecutors say the conspiracy involved distributing five kilograms or more of cocaine intended for unlawful importation into the United States.
The charge accuses him of conspiring to distribute cocaine knowing or having reasonable cause to believe it would be unlawfully imported into the United States. A charge is an accusation, and he is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
If convicted, Morales Martinez faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life in federal prison. A federal district court judge will decide any sentence after weighing the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Who handled the case
The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs secured the extradition from Guatemala. The department thanked Guatemala’s Ministerio Público and Policía Nacional Civil for their assistance and coordination.
U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida and Special Agent in Charge Miles Aley of the Drug Enforcement Administration‘s Miami Field Division announced the extradition. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lynn Kirkpatrick is prosecuting the case.
The case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force initiative in Miami, known as HSTF Miami. The task force includes agents and officers from ICE-Homeland Security Investigations, the FBI, the DEA, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Diplomatic Security Services, IRS Criminal Investigation, the U.S. Marshals Service, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the U.S. Secret Service and the U.S. Coast Guard. It also includes several U.S. Customs and Border Protection components, ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations, the South Florida High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area, and state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida leads the prosecution.