The U.S. Attorney’s Office announced on Aug. 4 that a two-count indictment was filed against Jamar Rashard Whitaker, 42, of Waldorf, Maryland, and Pedro Antonio Guardado Rivera, 33, of El Salvador, following a federal drug investigation in Southern Maryland.
According to the indictment, Whitaker and Guardado Rivera conspired to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine between July and October 2025. The indictment alleges that on July 22, 2025, both individuals sold approximately 594 grams of cocaine to an undercover officer. They are charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance, as well as distribution and possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance.
U.S. Attorney Kelly O. Hayes for the District of Maryland announced the charges alongside Special Agent in Charge Akil Baldwin from Homeland Security Investigations – Maryland; Special Agent in Charge Christopher C. Goumenis from the Drug Enforcement Administration – Washington Division; Colonel Michael A. Jackson from the Maryland State Police; Charles County Sheriff’s Department; and St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Department.
If convicted, both defendants face a minimum mandatory sentence of five years and up to life in prison for conspiring to distribute large quantities of cocaine. Sentencing will be determined by a federal district court judge after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The U.S. Attorney’s Office emphasized that an indictment is not evidence of guilt: “Individuals charged by indictment are presumed innocent until proven guilty at a later criminal proceeding.” Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than maximum penalties.
This prosecution is part of the HSTF initiative established by Executive Order 14159 aimed at dismantling criminal cartels and transnational organizations operating within the United States through interagency collaboration among agencies such as Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), United States Marshals Service (USMS), state police departments, local sheriff’s offices, and others under leadership from the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended all participating agencies for their work on this case and acknowledged Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrea Duvall and Elizabeth Wright, who are prosecuting it.
The U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland serves nearly six million residents across Maryland; prosecutes federal crimes; handles civil cases for the government; collects debts owed to government agencies; employs over 200 personnel across civil, criminal, and administrative divisions; enhances quality of life through justice administration; counts alumni in prominent roles across government sectors; operates as part of the Department of Justice according to its official website.