Five Arlington Men Among 28 Arrested in Alleged Honduran Cocaine Ring

An Arlington man allegedly acted as one of four leaders of a cocaine ring that smuggled the drug into Northern Virginia, distributed it across the East Coast and wired more than $1 million back to suppliers in Honduras over several years.

Twenty-eight people were charged with conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine in connection with the case, the FBI and U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia announced Wednesday.

The charge carries a minimum mandatory of five years in prison and a maximum penalty of 40 years in prison, U.S. Attorney's Office spokesman Peter Carr said.

Samuel Benitez-Pineda, also known as "Wilfredo Benitez," "Roque" or "Chiripa," 34, of Arlington, was named in the case as one of four alleged leaders, along with two Falls Church men and one from Vienna.

Concepcion Benitez-Pineda, also known as "Conchi" or "Concha," 38; Santos Efrain Carbajal Benites, 24; Jose Delores Vanegas, also known as "Chivito," 40; and Jose Maria Benites-Pineda, 32, all of Arlington, were among 24 others named in the case as people who helped distribute the drugs.

According to case documents, those charged — largely Honduran immigrants who have lived in Northern Virginia for the past seven years — hired couriers to smuggle cocaine to the United States, usually through wooden shoes or picture frames. Couriers carried luggage to conceal the items, such as food, clothing and Honduras-related trinkets, which would blend in with the contraband cargo, according to case documents.

Once in the country, the ringleaders would distribute the drug across Northern Virginia, Maryland, Massachusetts and North Carolina; often, packages would be handed off between several couriers before reaching street-level dealers and sellers, according to the documents.

Each shoe typically contained 1.5 ounces of cocaine; frames could hold up to 3 ounces. Agents have collected more than 5 kilograms of suspected cocaine, according to the documents.

The ring was first discovered in a search of one of the ringleader's homes in Falls Church in August 2011. Officials went on to conduct a number of searches and controlled purchases. Some of the sales occurred at private homes, while others happened across the county. Informants told the agents that handoffs or sales often occured at a particular Jiffy Lube; its exact location was not included in case doccuments.

For the past six years, some alleged members of the conspiracy, employed at the  in the Seven Corners area in Falls Church, have received cocaine to sell at the shopping plaza, according to the federal affidavit. In August, officers with the Northern Virginia Gang Task Force raided the Eden Center looking for illegal gambling machines. Fourteen of the 19 people charged in that investigation were not convicted.

Agents traced the ring to Honduras in part through wire taps on six cell phones, including one used by Samuel Benitez-Pineda and one by Concepcion Benitez-Pineda, since February.

The government's affidavit documents Samuel Benitez-Pineda in February complaining about the quality of the cocaine from one supplier. The document also indicates that the man owed money in Honduras, which caused him stress.

Officials are still monitoring some of those phones as part of an ongoing investigation.

Information discovered during the investigation also revealed possible  distribution of crack cocaine, money laundering and various firearm offenses.

Carr said there are no additional charges related to those offenses at this time. The defendants have yet to be indicted, which a grand jury must do for the case to go to trial, Carr said.

They will remain in custody pending their preliminary and detention hearings next week, scheduled for either Monday or Tuesday, Carr said.

Police officers out of Fairfax, Arlington and Prince William counties and the city of Falls Church assisted with this investigation.