A Mexican national has pleaded guilty in federal court for his involvement in a drug-trafficking conspiracy based in Missouri. Francisco Lopez-Sanchez, 44, entered his plea before U.S. District Judge Greg Kays to one count of conspiracy to distribute cocaine.
Court documents indicate that law enforcement began investigating the drug trafficking activities of Serjio Diaz in 2019. Authorities identified Diaz as a primary organizer of a group distributing methamphetamine, heroin, and cocaine. Other members included Lopez-Sanchez, Tony Diaz, Maria Jasmin Lopez, and Vicente Aguilera. Lopez-Sanchez is the last among these individuals to plead guilty.
On April 16, 2021, surveillance teams observed Lopez-Sanchez arrive at Serjio Diaz’s residence in Belton, Missouri, driving a black 2015 GMC Yukon with Texas license plates. He was seen carrying a blue bag into the home prior to an arranged controlled drug purchase by a confidential source. After about ten minutes, Lopez-Sanchez left with the same blue bag before the confidential source arrived. Later that day, Missouri State Highway Patrol stopped the vehicle near the Oklahoma state line on Interstate 44 and recovered nearly one kilogram of cocaine and $58,601 in cash.
Other co-defendants have already been sentenced:
– Serjio Diaz received 15 years in federal prison without parole after pleading guilty to multiple charges including conspiracy to distribute drugs and money laundering.
– Tony Diaz was sentenced to nine years for similar offenses.
– Maria Jasmin Lopez was sentenced to more than eleven years.
– Vicente Aguilera received one year and four months for using communication facilities to facilitate drug distribution.
Under federal statutes, Francisco Lopez-Sanchez faces between five and forty years in prison without parole. The actual sentence will be determined by the court following a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Bradley K. Kavanaugh is prosecuting the case, which was investigated by several agencies including the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, FBI, Jackson County Drug Task Force, and Missouri State Highway Patrol.
The prosecution is part of Operation Take Back America—a Department of Justice initiative aimed at combating illegal immigration and dismantling cartels and transnational criminal organizations through coordinated efforts involving OCDETFs and Project Safe Neighborhood.
