Three Ecuadorian Nationals Plead Guilty to Smuggling 800 Kilograms of Cocaine

Three Ecuadorian nationals have pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to drug trafficking charges after authorities intercepted their vessel carrying 800 kilograms of cocaine in international waters. United States Attorney Delia L. Smith announced on Friday that Luis Menocal-Mero, 41, Carlos Baque-Pincay, 23, and Carlos Anchundia-Mero, 24, admitted to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance While on Board a Vessel Subject to the Jurisdiction of the United States. Their guilty pleas were entered before Magistrate Judge Emile A. Henderson III. According to court records, the defendants were apprehended on March 8, 2023, when the United States Coast Guard Cutter Farragut detected and intercepted a go-fast vessel during a routine patrol. The vessel was spotted approximately 110 nautical miles southeast of the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador, in international waters. The vessel was not flying any national flag or bearing any nationality indicators, prompting U.S...