BALTIMORE (WBFF) — Seven men, including six who federal authorities say were living in the United States illegally, have been indicted in connection with a drug trafficking operation in the Baltimore metropolitan area, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland.
Federal prosecutors announced that Pablo Aberlardo Molina, 35; German Dario Aguilar Mencias, 20; Santos Ayala Serrano, 27; Hamilton Estuardo Cha Pacay, 24; Brayan Juarez Cruz, 30; Benjamin Rivas Lopez, 39; and Gerson Alex Tabora-Chinchilla, 31, have been charged in a federal indictment stemming from a drug investigation conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Baltimore County Police Department.
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Authorities identified Molina, Aguilar Mencias, Serrano, Cruz, Rivas Lopez and Tabora-Chinchilla as Honduran nationals. Cha Pacay is a Guatemalan national.
According to the indictment, members of the drug trafficking organization allegedly conspired between March and October 2025 to distribute at least five kilograms of cocaine and at least 280 grams of cocaine base, commonly known as crack cocaine, in the Baltimore area.
All seven defendants are charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances.
Federal prosecutors allege Molina, Serrano, Cruz and Rivas Lopez each possessed cocaine with the intent to distribute it. Aguilar Mencias, Cha Pacay and Tabora-Chinchilla each face two counts of possession with intent to distribute cocaine.
In addition to the drug charges, Aguilar Mencias and Cha Pacay are charged with possession of a firearm by a prohibited person.
Prosecutors also allege Aguilar Mencias, Cha Pacay and Tabora-Chinchilla conspired to possess firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
If convicted on the conspiracy charge, the defendants face a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison and a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
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Additional penalties vary depending on the charges, including up to 20 years in prison for certain drug offenses and up to 15 years for firearm-related offenses.
An indictment is a formal accusation and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney LaRai Everett and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathleen Godwin.
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