Phoenix Drug Kingpin Gets 14-Year Sentence for Smuggling Empire

Heriberto Lopez-Landeros, a 44-year-old head of a drug trafficking organization, was sentenced to 14 years in prison last week for smuggling significant quantities of methamphetamine, fentanyl, and heroin into the United States. The sentencing took place in Phoenix on November 25, where U.S. District Judge Steven P. Logan imposed a 168-month term with time already served.

Lopez, a resident of Avondale, Arizona, acknowledged his role in facilitating the importation of drugs from Mexico. He specifically recruited semi-tractor-trailer drivers to transport narcotics concealed in their vehicles. His criminal activities came to light during a year-and-a-half investigation that yielded substantial drug seizures linked to Lopez.

According to court documents, Lopez’s illegal operations extended to various states, including New Jersey and South Carolina. Law enforcement employed wiretaps and surveillance to track his activities and dismantle his network. In March 2022, he met with a co-conspirator in Peoria, Arizona, to collect proceeds from a cocaine sale, providing $4,500 for the transaction.

In May of the same year, Lopez organized the return of a shipment of heroin from South Carolina, which sold for approximately $15,000 in Avondale. The following month, he facilitated the sale of nearly 52 pounds of highly pure methamphetamine intended for a buyer in Texas, earning him $5,000.

However, law enforcement began intercepting drug shipments in mid-2022, capturing fentanyl powder during traffic stops. In January 2023, Lopez left a plastic bag containing 2.8 kilograms of meth with a co-conspirator who was subsequently arrested. Further attempts to distribute fentanyl were thwarted by law enforcement, resulting in additional drug seizures.

Following these events, officers executed a search warrant that led to the confiscation of several vehicles, including a 2021 Dodge Ram and a 2015 Cadillac Escalade, along with firearms and ammunition. Lopez was indicted alongside five others, charged with possession with intent to distribute controlled substances.

During his plea, Lopez admitted to his leadership role within the organization. His attorney, Edward Hamel, emphasized that the government found no evidence of violent actions associated with Lopez or sustained large drug quantities during the extensive investigation, which began in July 2021 and culminated in Lopez’s arrest in February 2023.

The investigation fell under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF), which aims to dismantle high-level drug traffickers and criminal organizations. Established by the Justice Department in 1982, OCDETF coordinates efforts from over 500 federal prosecutors, 1,200 federal agents, and various state and local law enforcement agencies to combat drug-related crime effectively.

Investigative efforts involved Homeland Security Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Arizona Department of Public Safety, and the Avondale Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan McCarthy represented the prosecution in this case.