Fifteen people have been indicted by a federal grand jury in connection with what authorities say is the largest methamphetamine seizure in Colorado history. The United States Attorney for the District of Colorado announced that one of the defendants, Marco Antonio De Silva Lara, faces a ‘drug kingpin’ charge as an alleged leader of a drug trafficking organization.
The indictment names Marco Antonio De Silva Lara, Sergio Ivan Arce Lopez, Juan Luis Cabrera Saucedo, Luis Enrique Lopez Lopez, Rigoberto Aranda, Erik Alejandro Benitez Chavez, Robert Shane Gerstner, Joseph Ricardo Menzor, William Joseph Rollins, Brittney Pierce, Francisco Javier Armenta Barraza, Jamie Cash Hoover, Cesar Andres Huizar Guerra, and Trenton Anthony Thompson. Eleven of these individuals are currently in federal custody; the others are believed to be in Mexico.
According to details from the complaint, law enforcement used wiretaps, surveillance techniques and undercover operations to seize over 1,000 pounds of methamphetamine linked to this group. Notable seizures included 96 pounds found on a Greyhound bus in Vail in December 2024; 101 pounds and half a kilogram of fentanyl powder taken during a highway stop in February 2025; more than 700 pounds recovered from a Lakewood residence in April 2025—where agents also found equipment associated with meth manufacturing and thousands of packages hidden inside fruit containers—and nearly 50 pounds seized at an Arvada home in August 2025.
All defendants face drug charges carrying sentences ranging from ten years to life in federal prison. Four are charged with money laundering offenses that could result in up to twenty years’ imprisonment. De Silva Lara is specifically charged under the Continuing Criminal Enterprise statute (21 U.S.C. §848(a)), which mandates at least twenty years behind bars if convicted.
“This successful investigation boasts the largest methamphetamine seizure in Colorado history and intercepted more than 1,000 pounds of methamphetamine before it could be distributed into our community,” said United States Attorney for the District of Colorado Peter McNeilly. “This investigation showcases what we are able to accomplish when we combine the resources, tools, and expertise of federal agencies with the passion, experience, and sweat equity of local law enforcement officers.”
Multiple agencies contributed to this case: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations as well as local partners including Adams County Sheriff’s Office, Douglas County Sheriff’s Office and Arvada Police Department.
The operation falls under the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159 aimed at combating criminal cartels and transnational organizations operating within or outside U.S. borders. The HSTF coordinates efforts across numerous agencies—including HSI, FBI, DEA and others—to investigate crimes such as child trafficking and remove violent offenders from the country.
Prosecutions are being handled by the Transnational Organized Crime and Money Laundering Section within the U.S. Attorney’s Office for Colorado.
Authorities note that all charges remain allegations until proven beyond reasonable doubt in court.
