Two Men Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Major Cocaine Trafficking Conspiracy in Savannah

Two men involved in a large-scale cocaine trafficking conspiracy have been sentenced to federal prison after pleading guilty to drug distribution charges.

Pedro Castro-Vasquez, 53, also known as “Chipo,” from Puerto Rico, and Sonic Torres-Garcia, 27, from Kissimmee, Florida, were sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge J. Randal Hall. Castro-Vasquez received 180 months in prison and a $1,500 fine, while Torres-Garcia was sentenced to 180 months in prison, to run consecutively to other pending cases, along with a $2,500 fine. Both men will serve three years of supervised release after their sentences. There is no parole in the federal system.

“The conspiracy identified in this multi-year investigation was responsible for importing and distributing large quantities of drugs in the Southern District,” said Tara M. Lyons, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia.

The charges stemmed from “Operation Carpet Ride,” a multi-year investigation that uncovered a drug trafficking conspiracy operating across multiple counties, including Bulloch, Burke, and Effingham, as well as parts of Florida, from as early as January 2016. The operation, led by Daniel Morales-Jimenez, also known as “Danny Hill,” imported significant amounts of cocaine and methamphetamine through Puerto Rico.

Castro-Vasquez was identified as a distributor responsible for receiving cocaine from Morales-Jimenez and facilitating its importation into the U.S. Torres-Garcia was involved in supplying cocaine to other members of the conspiracy, including Demarr Clayton Lee, who is currently serving a 98-month sentence for his role in the operation.

The investigation was part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) initiative and involved multiple law enforcement agencies, including the DEA, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. Since its inception, 26 other defendants have pled guilty, with sentences ranging up to 240 months in prison.

“This case represents the continued commitment of the Drug Enforcement Administration to identify and hold accountable those who engage in the distribution of dangerous drugs,” said Jae W. Chung, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Division.