Angel Lazala-Soto, a 60-year-old resident of New York originally from Bani, Dominican Republic, has been sentenced to 70 months in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute cocaine. The sentence was announced by Jonathan D. Ross, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, and was handed down by United States District Judge Brian S. Miller on March 5, 2026.
Lazala-Soto was indicted by a federal grand jury on March 6, 2025, following an incident that took place on August 29, 2024. According to investigators, Arkansas State Police troopers stopped Lazala-Soto’s vehicle for following too closely. During the stop, officers noted his nervous behavior and communicated with him in Spanish due to language barriers. Lazala-Soto initially claimed he had driven from New Jersey to see his son for lunch but later admitted during questioning that he had traveled from New York to Austin, Texas.
A search of the vehicle revealed large duffle bags and seven kilo-like bundles atop the spare tire. Lazala-Soto confessed that he was transporting cocaine and had met someone at a gas station in Austin.
In addition to this conviction, Lazala-Soto has a prior federal conviction from February 2009 for attempted re-entry after deportation. He served 30 months in prison and three years of supervised release for that offense. His criminal record also includes felony convictions for criminal mischief – second degree, grand larceny, possession with intent to distribute cocaine, assault with a dangerous weapon, and two counts of possession of stolen property.
Judge Miller also imposed five years of supervised release following the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
The Drug Enforcement Administration led the investigation with assistance from the Arkansas State Police. Assistant United States Attorney Stacy Williams prosecuted the case.
“There is no parole in the federal system,” said U.S. Attorney Jonathan D. Ross.
