United States of America v. Cidia Marleny Lima Lopez, Ottoniel Castro Argueta, Veronica Maribel Lima Lopez, Ariz Obdulio Argueta, Pedro Cucul Gualna, and Carlos Enrique Ramos Caal

Tulsa, Oklahoma, criminal defense lawyers represented the Defendants charged with Conspiracy to Transport Aliens in the United States Illegally for Private Financial Gain and Human Trafficking and Money Laundering.

Reported by Kent Morlan

From October 2021 through April 2025, the ringleader, Cidia Marleny Lima Lopez (Cidia), conspired with the defendants and other individuals throughout the United States, Guatemala, and Mexico to conceal, harbor, and transport unlawful aliens in the United States. Those aliens were from various countries in Central America, South America, and Asia.

Court documents show that Cidia used a social media application to coordinate payment to conspirators in Guatemala in exchange for transportation. The aliens were transported from Guatemala and housed in Mexico until they could cross the United States-Mexico border unlawfully. Once inside the United States, drivers and stash house operators in Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Texas would conceal the alien. Cidia admitted that the drivers would collect payment at her direction and transport the aliens to various stash houses in Oklahoma, Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and Washington.

The indictment filed in April 2025 alleged that each alien would pay roughly $5,000 to be smuggled into the United States. All money collected from the aliens being transported was deposited into bank accounts accessible to Cidia and others. She then admitted to using those funds to purchase vehicles and real estate property. Court records show that Cidia forfeited three trucks and two ATVs that were seized during the execution of a search warrant in Oklahoma City on April 24, 2025. Additionally, Cidia is forfeiting all interest and property contained in two separate homes in Oklahoma City and three different properties in Sequoyah County.

The following defendants were sentenced for Conspiracy to Bring and Transport Aliens in the United States Illegally for Private Financial Gain:

Cidia Marleny Lima Lopez, 40, living in Charlotte, North Carolina, was ordered to serve 33 months imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release. Additionally, Cidia Lima Lopez forfeited her interest in the $5,000 obtained from smuggling aliens into the United States.
Ottoniel Castro Argueta, 33, the husband of Cidia, also living in Charlotte, North Carolina, was ordered to serve 51 months imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release. Additionally, Castro Argueta forfeited his interest in the vehicles and properties listed above.
Veronica Maribel Lima Lopez, 34, living in Oklahoma City, was ordered to serve 12 months and one day imprisonment, followed by one year of supervised release. Additionally, Veronica Lima Lopez forfeited her interest in the vehicles listed above and $5,000 obtained from smuggling aliens into the United States.
Ariz Obdulio Argueta, 30, living in Clarksville, Arkansas, was arrested in April 2025 and released in March 2026 after being ordered to time served. Obdulio Argueta was additionally ordered to three years of supervised release and forfeited his interest in the $5,000 obtained from smuggling aliens into the United States.
Pedro Cucul Gualna, 26, living in Sallisaw, Oklahoma, was arrested in April 2025 and released in April 2026 after being ordered to time served. He was additionally ordered to one year of supervised release.
Carlos Enrique Ramos Caal, 31, living in Flagstaff, Arizona, was arrested in April 2025 and released in March 2026 after being ordered to time served. Ramos Caal was additionally ordered to two years of supervised release

Additionally, Cesar Rodolfo Garcia Argueta, 21, living in Clarksville, Arkansas, was sentenced for Attempt to Bring an Alien to the United States Illegally from Private Financial Gain. He was arrested in April 2025 and released in March 2026 after being ordered to time served. Garcia Argueta was additionally ordered to three years of supervised release and forfeited his interest in the $5,000 obtained from smuggling aliens into the United States. Charges against Esvin Alexander Rodriguez Luis, 27, living in Oklahoma City, were dismissed in October 2025.

All of the defendants were unlawfully present in the United States. They are expected to be deported after removal proceedings following their sentences.

Lima Lopez was sentenced to 33 months. SR: 3 years. SMA: $100.