Sean P. Costello U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Alabama
Walter Alejandro Hedrera, an Ecuadorian national, has been sentenced to 108 months in prison after pleading guilty to smuggling over a ton of cocaine in the Pacific Ocean. The sentencing was handed down by United States District Court Judge Terry F. Moorer on October 22, 2025.
According to court documents, the incident occurred on September 24, 2024. A U.S. Coast Guard helicopter from the Cutter MUNRO identified a suspicious vessel about 160 nautical miles south of Manzanillo, Mexico. The boat showed no signs of nationality and was moving quickly through an area known for drug trafficking with visible packages on its deck.
The Coast Guard helicopter attempted to stop the vessel by firing warning shots, which were unsuccessful. It then disabled the boat by shooting out its engines. Video footage captured by the helicopter showed those onboard throwing packages into the ocean as their boat became disabled.
U.S. Coast Guard personnel later boarded the vessel and recovered 24 bales from the surrounding water, which weighed approximately 1,092 kilograms of cocaine at sea.
Hedrera and four others were detained and brought to the United States for prosecution under the Maritime Drug Law Enforcement Act. Due to safety concerns and lack of tow points, authorities sank the vessel after completing law enforcement procedures.
U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello for the Southern District of Alabama announced the sentencing: "U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama made the announcement."
The investigation was conducted by both the United States Coast Guard and Homeland Security Investigations within the Department of Homeland Security.
Assistant United States Attorney George F. May prosecuted this case.
This prosecution is part of Operation Take Back America, a federal initiative aimed at combating illegal immigration and eliminating transnational criminal organizations through coordinated efforts among agencies such as Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
