A man accused of leading a major transnational cocaine trafficking organization in Central America was arrested in San Diego and made his initial federal court appearance Friday, April 24, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California.
Eugenio Dario Molina-Lopez, 61, known as “Don Dario,” is alleged to be the leader of Los Huistas, a transnational drug trafficking organization based in the Huehuetenango region of northwestern Guatemala along the Mexican border. He pleaded not guilty at Friday’s hearing. A motion hearing and trial setting is scheduled for May 11, 2026, at 9 a.m. before U.S. District Judge Dana M. Sabraw.
Molina-Lopez was charged as part of Operation Guerrilla Unit, a multi-year investigation led by Homeland Security Investigations, HSI’s attaché offices in Guatemala City and Mexico City, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in San Diego. The probe targeted Molina-Lopez, the Los Huistas organization and its suppliers, and involved multiple law enforcement agencies across several countries and federal districts.
A federal grand jury returned an indictment against Molina-Lopez on January 29, 2019, charging him with conspiracy to distribute cocaine intended for unlawful importation and conspiracy to distribute cocaine on board a vessel. He faces a maximum penalty of life in prison and a $10 million fine.
The case drew significant federal attention in March 2022, when the U.S. Department of State announced a reward of up to $10 million for information leading to his arrest or conviction under the Narcotics Rewards Program. That same month, the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control designated both Molina-Lopez and the Los Huistas organization pursuant to Executive Order 14059 for drug trafficking that threatens the security of the United States and Guatemala.
“Cartel leaders don’t get to write the end of their stories. We do,” U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon said in a statement. “And once again, the final chapter for a man alleged to be one of the world’s most notorious and prolific cocaine traffickers is here in the Southern District of California.”
HSI Acting Special Agent in Charge Kevin Murphy said the operation demonstrated the effectiveness of the Homeland Security Task Force and its partnerships across the United States and Guatemala in dismantling transnational criminal organizations.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Mokhtari and is part of the Homeland Security Task Force initiative established under Executive Order 14159.
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