2 men indicted for conspiracy to import cocaine from Mexico

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Said Imberly Chino Lucero, 28, a permanent resident of the U.S. residing in San Juan, Mexico, and Carlos Andres Herrera-Fernandez, 35, of Lanham, Maryland, were indicted Thursday by a federal grand jury on charges of conspiracy to import and the importation of cocaine into the U.S. and possession with intent to distribute cocaine. This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

According to court records, the defendants were arrested Oct. 5, after Chino Lucero attempted to bring 500 grams or more of cocaine into the U.S. through Dulles International Airport. The cocaine was allegedly contained in candy packaging which Chino Lucero smuggled in his luggage onto a commercial flight. Herrera-Fernandez is identified as a co-conspirator in this scheme.

Herrera-Fernandez and Chino Lucero each face a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison and a maximum penalty of 40 years in prison if convicted of each count. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.