WASHINGTON, D.C. — A Honduran national was sentenced Thursday to 32 months in federal prison for maintaining a stash house in Washington, D.C., used to store cocaine for a drug trafficking ring operating in the District of Columbia and Maryland, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
Rodger Bonilla Vargas, 39, also known as “Paki,” pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine. U.S. District Court Judge sentenced him to 32 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Bonilla Vargas, who is unlawfully in the United States, faces deportation after completing his sentence.
Prosecutors said Bonilla Vargas stored large quantities of cocaine at his residence for his co-conspirators, including on August 18, 2023, when he held 3.6 kilograms of cocaine for distribution. Bonilla Vargas admitted that he was aware the substances were illegal and part of a larger narcotics operation.
The drug trafficking ring, which operated from March 2023 to August 2023, involved multiple individuals, including Jorge Cruz Maldonado, Vladimir Roque Ceron, and Cila Melgar Rodriguez. The group conspired to distribute more than 771 grams of cocaine and 11.62 grams of fentanyl, according to court documents.
Two co-conspirators have already been sentenced. Vladimir Roque Ceron received 14 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and cocaine, while Erik Rivera Garcia was sentenced to 62 months for conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine.
Bonilla Vargas was previously arrested in November 2023 by ICE on a charge of being present in the U.S. without admission and is under removal proceedings.