An investigation lasting eight months finally paid off.
Four Maryland men are now facing federal charges after a Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Task Force busted their multi-million dollar drug ring, netting 31 kilos of cocaine and $2.4 million in cash.
Court documents indicate the DEA made the astonishing arrests on April 8 in Baltimore, taking these men into custody:
Hector M. Hernandez-Villapando, age 63, of Hanover, Maryland
Enixae Hernandez-Barba, age 33, of Linthicum Heights, Maryland
Hector L. Hernandez-Barba, age 39, of Las Vegas, Nevada
William Frederick Cornish, age 52, of Abingdon, Maryland
Initially launched in August of 2015, the DEA was tipped off about a group trafficking unknown substances to and from a warehouse, with trucks under a company name that had been evicted some months prior.
For several months, DEA investigators observed the men listed, under the trucking alias of KMKJ Trucking, LLC, loading cocaine in and out of Golden Ring Road Warehouse—which they later learned the men would transfer to and from a separate warehouse not far away, in Linthicum Heights.
On April 8, investigators observed a silver F-150 pick-up truck leave the Linthicum Heights warehouse. The truck was driven by William Frederick Cornish.
The truck was pulled over and subsequently scanned by a narcotics dog, which indicated the truck contained illegal drugs—later turning up to be 31 kilos of cocaine in the backseat.
Shortly after, Hernandez-Villapando, and Hector and Enixae Hernandez-Barba were stopped when leaving the warehouse. Search warrants for the warehouses and their residences turned up three large duffel bags containing large sums of cash.
The bags were jammed with vacuum-sealed plastic bags, marked with the amount of cash each contained. Police believe the bags contain a total of $2.4 million, based on the markings. Receipts also obtained in the home, document just over $2.4 million in illegal drug sales.
Cornish’s home turned up a money counter, labeling rubber bands, gloves and digital scale, as well as a frequency detector used to sweep cars, people, and other items for hidden drug-scanning devices.
The men face a minimum mandatory sentence of 10 years through to life in jail.
Investigators believe disrupting this ring, despite the small amount of cocaine they found, will still have a huge impact on the dealings in Baltimore City.
