The United States Attorney’s Office announced the filing of a two-count indictment against two drug traffickers, a Maryland man and an illegal alien, in connection with a federal drug investigation.
Jamar Rashard Whitaker, 42, of Waldorf, and Pedro Antonio Guardado Rivera, 33, of El Salvador, made their first appearances to face the accusations.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the indictment alongside Special Agent in Charge Akil Baldwin, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) – Maryland; Special Agent in Charge Christopher C. Goumenis, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) – Washington Division; Colonel Michael A. Jackson, Superintendent, Maryland State Police (MSP); Charles County Sheriff’s Department (CCSD); and St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Department (SMCSD).
The indictment alleges that Whitaker and Guardado Rivera plotted to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine beginning in July 2025 and continuing until at least October 2025. On July 22, 2025, the conspirators sold about 594 grams of cocaine to an undercover detective. They are both charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess a controlled substance, as well as distribution and possession with the purpose to distribute a prohibited substance.
An indictment does not constitute a conviction of guilt. Individuals accused under indictment are deemed innocent until proven guilty in a subsequent criminal process.
If convicted, Whitaker and Guardado Rivera risk a minimum sentence of five years and up to life in prison for conspiring, distributing, and possessing 500 grams or more of cocaine.
Actual sentences for federal crimes are often lower than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge makes a sentence decision based on the United States sentence Guidelines and other statutory factors.
This prosecution is part of the HSTF initiative launched by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a government-wide effort to combat criminal cartels, international gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and overseas.
Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full resources of US law enforcement to identify, investigate, and prosecute the full range of crimes perpetrated by terrorist organizations, which have long fostered violence and instability within our borders. The HSTF maintains a specific emphasis on investigating and punishing those involved in child trafficking and other child-related offenses. The HSTF also uses all available means to prosecute and deport the most violent criminal aliens from the United States.
HSTF Baltimore is comprised of agents and officers from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); the United States Attorney’s Office (USAO) for the District of Maryland; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF); the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA); the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI); the United States Marshals Service (USMS); the Washington/Baltimore HIDTA (W/B HIDTA); the Mary
U.S. Attorney Hayes praised HSI, DEA, MSP, CCSD, and SMCSD for their efforts in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also praised Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrea Duvall and Elizabeth Wright, who are handling the federal case.
Visit justice.gov/usao-md to learn more about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and relevant community resources.
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