SEATTLE — Neither victim had an illegal or current immigration status in the U.S.
Daniel Lopez was sentenced after kidnapping the victim from her home at gunpoint, believing that her spouse cheated him out of $2500 worth of cocaine in a drug deal in October 2024.
Lopez was seen on neighbors sureillance cameras leaving with the victim while holding a gun.
He later kidnapped a second victim, holding both in the Seattle area.
Neither victim had illegal or current immigration status in the U.S.
Later, Lopez forced both victims to travel to Mexico, then to Guatemala after crossing the U.S. Southern border.
The woman’s husband reported her missing the next day after she was taken from their home.
Lopez then came back to the U.S. and was arrested while hiding in a motel in Houston, Texas, by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
He was indicted in November 2024 and sentenced on Wednesday.
U.S. Attorney Neil Floyd spoke about how the Lopez’s lengthy and serious criminal history merrited the sentence, saying, “Mr. Lopez has been involved in street gangs since his mid-teens and has committed several violent offenses including robbery, drive-by shooting and illegal possession of guns and drugs. This 8-year prison sentence is focused on protecting the community.”