Guilty Verdicts for Panga Boat Smugglers
Two Convicted of Trafficking Two Tons of Marijuana from Mexico to S.B.
Jose Guadalupe Zepeda-Ramirez, 24, of Mexico, was found guilty last week of two drug trafficking charges related to a panga boat discovered March 27 at Alegria Beach near Hollister Ranch. He and Mexican resident Miguel Rodriguez-Doranme, 39, had just transported nearly two tons — over 3,650 pounds — of marijuana on a six-day journey from Ensenada, Mexico to Santa Barbara County when they were detained by a ranch security guard.
In federal appeals court, both men pleaded guilty. Zepeda-Ramirez faces 10 years to life in federal prison; Rodriguez-Doranme, also convicted, faces up to 20 years in prison.
