Orange County, Florida authorities have arrested three family members suspected of running illegal gambling and selling prescription drugs over the counter out of Guatemalan convenience stores.
The trio named in police reports are Bernave Lopez-Perez, Debora Lopez-Perez, and Maria Lopez-Perez, who now face charges of money laundering, scheme to defraud, and racketeering, among others, Debora and Maria also face additional counts of maintaining a structure for controlled substances.
Bond has been set at over $100,000 for each defendant, and all three are required to surrender their passports as a condition of release.
The investigation traces back to an anonymous tip received by the Apopka Police Department in October 2025 about Ampicillin, a prescription penicillin antibiotic, being sold at several Apopka stores. That tip was forwarded to the Metropolitan Bureau of Investigation (MBI), which led the months-long probe.
In November 2025, MBI agents found empty “Ampicillin Capsules” boxes discarded in the stores’ trash, and in December 2025, an undercover operation at one of the Apopka locations turned up a gambling slot machine in the back of the store.
Investigators allege the medications sold included some that are illegal in the US, some that required a prescription, some sold at illegal dosage sizes, and some missing labels altogether.
The suspects’ attorney, Miguel Gonzalez Jr., pushed back on the severity of the charges, arguing the drugs in question were antibiotics, “It’s not like they’re selling cocaine or fentanyl.”
The attorney also argued that the state had wrongfully seized large amounts of money, to which authorities acquiesced to a point, and returned $52,000, which was proven to have come from legitimate sources.
Apart from the alleged drug sales, the stores, both operating under the name La Tienda Guatemala, were also allegedly used to run illegal gambling via slot machines. The stores remain open.