Overview
- Federal prosecutors say they arrested Eugenio Dario Molina-Lopez in San Diego, naming him the alleged leader of Guatemala’s Los Huistas trafficking group.
- He pleaded not guilty to conspiracy charges tied to cocaine distribution and faces a possible life sentence and a $10 million fine if convicted.
- Prosecutors allege he coordinated nearly four tons of cocaine across multiple shipments as part of a cross-border supply chain.
- The arrest stems from Operation Guerrilla Unit, a multi-year Homeland Security Investigations probe with partners in Guatemala and Mexico, backed by a 2022 State Department reward of up to $10 million.
- U.S. filings place Los Huistas in Huehuetenango near Mexico, and independent reporting has linked the group to supplying the Sinaloa and Jalisco New Generation cartels.