Maryland Man and Salvadoran National Indicted in Southern Maryland Drug Investigation

A two-count federal indictment has been unsealed, charging a Maryland man and a national of El Salvador with drug trafficking offenses. The charges stem from an investigation conducted by the Southern Maryland High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) task force. The indictment alleges that the two individuals conspired to distribute a significant quantity of cocaine and were involved in an actual sale of the substance to an undercover officer.

According to information from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland, Jamar Rashard Whitaker, 42, of Waldorf, and Pedro Antonio Guardado Rivera, 33, of El Salvador, have been formally charged. The indictment details that their alleged criminal activity occurred between July 2025 and at least October 2025. During this period, the two are accused of conspiring to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine. A specific incident cited in the indictment involved the sale of approximately 594 grams of cocaine to an undercover officer on July 22, 2025. Both men face charges for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance, as well as distribution and possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance.

If convicted of the charges, Whitaker and Guardado Rivera face substantial prison sentences. The indictment outlines a potential penalty of a minimum mandatory five years in federal prison, with the possibility of up to life imprisonment. These penalties apply to convictions for conspiring, distributing, and possessing with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine. It is important to note that federal sentencing is determined by a district court judge, who considers U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors, meaning actual sentences may differ from the maximum penalties.

This prosecution is part of a broader federal initiative established by Executive Order 14159, aimed at combating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings. The High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) program involves a comprehensive, government-wide partnership designed to dismantle these illicit organizations both within the United States and internationally. The task force utilizes interagency collaboration to target and prosecute a wide range of criminal activities perpetrated by these groups, which are often linked to violence and instability. Special emphasis is placed on investigating and prosecuting crimes involving children and on removing violent criminal aliens from the United States. The Baltimore HIDTA team comprises agents and officers from numerous federal and state law enforcement agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Maryland State Police (MSP), and various local sheriff’s departments, with prosecution efforts led by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland.

The U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland has commended the efforts of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Maryland State Police (MSP), the Charles County Sheriff’s Department (CCSD), and the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Department (SMCSD) for their contributions to this investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrea Duvall and Elizabeth Wright are prosecuting the case.

Article by Mel Anara, based upon information from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Maryland

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