United States Attorney Delia L. Smith announced the initial court appearance of Julio Contreras Bueno and Christian Garay Ochoa, both from Mexico, following their indictment on charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine on a vessel under U.S. jurisdiction.

Court records indicate that on September 5, 2024, a Royal Canadian Naval ship with a U.S. Coast Guard detachment intercepted a go-fast vessel in international waters of the Eastern Pacific. The vessel was found approximately 427 nautical miles southwest of Acapulco, Mexico. It was adrift without nationality indicators or a flag and had visible bales on deck. The Coast Guard conducted a boarding based on suspicions of illicit activity.

Onboard were Julio Contreras Bueno, Christian Garay Ochoa, and Francisco Hernandez Penaloza. Although the crew claimed Mexican nationality for the vessel, this could not be confirmed by the Mexican government. Consequently, the vessel was deemed stateless and under U.S. jurisdiction. A search uncovered 35 bales consistent with contraband; tests confirmed cocaine presence. The contraband was seized, and due to hull damage, the vessel was sunk.

Hernandez Penaloza's initial court appearance will be scheduled pending his transfer from California's Southern District. If convicted, the defendants face sentences ranging from ten years to life imprisonment, subject to federal sentencing guidelines.

The case is investigated by the United States Coast Guard and Drug Enforcement Administration and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle Payne as part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) initiative aimed at dismantling high-level drug traffickers and criminal organizations through coordinated law enforcement efforts.

U.S. Attorney Smith emphasized that an indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.