A federal judge in Maryland has sentenced 35-year-old Mario Valencia-Birruetta to more than a decade behind bars, marking the end of a high-stakes investigation into a cross-country narcotics operation.
U.S. District Judge James K. Bredar handed down the 121-month sentence after the Corning, California, resident was convicted of conspiracy to distribute cocaine and possession with intent to distribute.
The case began in early 2023 when a joint task force—including the DEA, Homeland Security Investigations, and the IRS—started tracking a drug trafficking organization based in Baltimore.
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By July, federal agents had identified Valencia-Birruetta as a key figure in the ring and placed him on a flight watch list. This move proved critical on August 14, when investigators received an alert that he had booked a commercial flight to Baltimore for the following day.
Upon his arrival, law enforcement began a period of intense surveillance. Agents watched as Valencia-Birruetta moved between a residence in Baltimore City and various meeting spots.
Over the course of nine days, investigators documented several meetings with known traffickers who arrived at his location carrying bags associated with drug activity. In one instance, police observed Valencia-Birruetta handling a large amount of bulk cash before heading to a bank to make a deposit.
After a brief return to California, Valencia-Birruetta flew back to Maryland at the end of August. Federal agents were waiting at Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, trailing him as he picked up a rental car and met with co-conspirators. The surveillance team followed the group from the National Harbor to a stash house in Timonium, Maryland.
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The investigation reached a breaking point when agents moved in as Valencia-Birruetta and an associate began unloading duffel bags from a vehicle. One of the bags had a visible tear, exposing brick-sized packages of drugs to the officers.
A subsequent search of the vehicle and the stash house yielded a staggering 75 kilograms of cocaine. Beyond the drugs, authorities recovered a kilo press, digital scales, sifters, and other processing equipment. They also seized two heat-sealed bags of marijuana, a money counter, and three firearms.
U.S. Attorney Kelly O. Hayes announced the sentence alongside leaders from the Baltimore Police Department and Maryland state agencies. Hayes praised the seamless coordination between local and federal departments that led to the removal of over 100 kilograms of cocaine from the streets. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Calvin Miner and Stanton Lawyer.
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