Plano, Texas — A former congressman from Guatemala has been handed an 18-year prison sentence in the United States after admitting his role in an international drug trafficking operation, as reported by the U.S. Department of Justice on Tuesday.

Jose Armando Ubico Aguilar, aged 45, received his sentence on February 11 from U.S. District Judge Michael Truncale in Plano, a city located near Dallas, according to federal prosecutors’ announcement.

Abe McGlothin Jr., the acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Texas, stated that Ubico Aguilar had actively participated in “brokerage and facilitation” of cocaine shipments entering the United States.

A federal grand jury issued an indictment against Ubico Aguilar in March 2021, charging him with various federal drug trafficking offenses. Prosecutors noted that he entered the U.S. in May 2024 and subsequently confessed to conveying drug-related information and U.S. currency to another public official in Guatemala on behalf of an international drug trafficker.

Officials reported that his involvement led to the secure transit of over 450 kilograms (approximately 992 pounds) of cocaine through Guatemala, intended for distribution within the U.S.