Hieu Trung Vu, a 37-year-old previously convicted felon and illegal alien from Vietnam, pleaded guilty on Mar. 31 in U.S. District Court to charges related to drug trafficking and unlawful firearm possession in Washington, D.C., according to U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Vu admitted guilt before Judge Amit P. Mehta to one count of unlawful possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, cocaine, cocaine base, amphetamine, and fentanyl. He also pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon. Sentencing is scheduled for July 30. Due to his immigration status, Vu faces deportation to Vietnam after serving his sentence.
"Vu was operating a drug trafficking scheme out of a Georgetown Airbnb while armed with two loaded pistols. He had no legal right to be in this country, no legal right to possess firearms, and no right to endanger our communities with these deadly narcotics," said U.S. Attorney Pirro. "This prosecution will reinforce that he has no right to victimize our citizens ever again."
Court documents state that on Dec. 4, 2025, Metropolitan Police responded after an emergency call reported narcotics at an Airbnb residence on the 1400 block of Wisconsin Ave NW. Officers obtained a search warrant for the property and discovered two handguns in a backpack as well as multiple types of drugs packaged for distribution along with items linking them directly to Vu.
Lab analysis confirmed the substances included approximately 48 grams of methamphetamine, 14 grams of cocaine, two grams of cocaine base, six grams of amphetamine, and ten grams of fentanyl—all possessed by Vu with intent to distribute.
The firearms recovered were identified as a Glock 43X pistol loaded with nine rounds and a CZ Model 27 pistol; both belonged to Vu who was prohibited from possessing any firearm due to his prior felony conviction in Fairfax County in 2022 for similar offenses.
The case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department alongside the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives' Washington Field Division and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys David B. Liss and Caelainn Carney under the Make D.C. Safe and Beautiful initiative—a law enforcement effort supporting President Trump's Executive Order targeting gun violence.
