FEDERAL WAY, Wash. — This story was originally published on MyNorthwest.com.
A Federal Way man, who kidnapped a woman as revenge for a drug deal gone wrong, was sentenced to prison.
Daniel Lopez, 25, will spend eight years behind bars for using a firearm in a crime of violence, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington on Wednesday.
Lopez was indicted in November 2024 for kidnapping the spouse of someone who cheated him in a drug deal.
The woman was abducted at gunpoint from her home in Auburn and ultimately found safe in Guatemala.
U.S. District Judge John Coughenour said the sentence was merited because of “the defendant’s use of a firearm in a violent kidnapping, and the violent nature of the charged conduct.”
“This defendant has a lengthy and serious criminal history with many of the offenses involving firearms,” U.S. Attorney Neil Floyd stated. “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 eight-year prison sentence is focused on protecting the community.”
How the kidnapping unfolded
The husband of the woman who was kidnapped and a second person, who was also kidnapped, had taken $2,500 from Lopez for cocaine, but the cocaine was never delivered, according to records filed in the case.
“After losing money in a fraudulent drug deal, Lopez retaliated by violently kidnapping a person involved in the scheme, along with an innocent victim, at gunpoint,” W. Mike Herrington, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Seattle field office, stated.
The woman’s husband reported her missing on October 14, 2024. Two witnesses told authorities they saw the woman leaving with two men, one of whom had a gun. The man was later identified as Lopez.
Further investigation revealed the woman and the second person were held in the Seattle area for two days before being transported to the Mexico border. Lopez had associates drive them to the border and forced them to walk across.
They were subsequently identified by immigration authorities in Mexico and were transported to Guatemala. The attorney’s office noted neither had legal status in the U.S. and therefore have been barred from returning.
Lopez was traced to Houston, Texas, and was arrested on October 19, 2024, at a hotel. He has remained in custody since his arrest.
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