Orlando, FL – A Florida man has been sentenced to seven years in federal prison for his role in a deadly drug-money run that ended with his wife’s violent death in 2024. Prosecutors allege Miguel Aguasvivas Lizardo, 35, forced his estranged wife, Katherine Aguasvivas, 41, into a risky courier job involving $170,000 in Colombian cartel cash, a trip that ended in her murder.
The Fatal Day That Shook Central Florida
On April 11, 2024, just before 6 p.m., Katherine was carjacked at the intersection of East Lake Drive and Tuskawilla Road in Winter Springs, a suburb north of Orlando. Cellphone video obtained by WFTV showed a green Acura TL ramming her white Dodge Durango. Moments later, a gunman entered her vehicle at gunpoint. According to prosecutors, she called her husband, who allegedly told her not to stop. Trapped at a red light, she had no way to escape.
The carjackers forced Katherine to follow them for nearly 24 miles, eventually stopping at a construction site on Boggy Creek Road in Kissimmee. There, she was shot, doused in lighter fluid, and set on fire. When deputies from the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office arrived after reports of smoke and gunshots, they found the SUV burned to a shell. Her identity was later confirmed through dental records.
Prosecutors Say Husband Sent Her on the Trip
Investigators allege Lizardo orchestrated the April trip to move cartel money from Seminole County to South Florida. Prosecutors claimed Katherine had completed more than ten such runs before and was paid $1,000 per trip. According to federal court filings, the couple was separated at the time, and Katherine needed the money to pay rent.
Defense attorney Brett Meltzer argued Lizardo’s wife willingly took his place that day, saying, “It just happened to be that day he couldn’t do it. He asked the wife to do it. She went ahead. He would’ve been the one killed if he had gone.” The defense asked for a 41-month sentence, citing Lizardo’s role as a father and caretaker to his children.
Judge Cites Reckless Endangerment in Sentencing
During sentencing, the judge said Lizardo’s decision to send his wife put her directly in harm’s way and warranted a lengthy prison term. Prosecutors had pushed for the high end of federal guidelines, which suggest six to seven years for conspiracy to commit money laundering—a crime with a statutory maximum of 20 years. The judge’s seven-year sentence fell just below that maximum guideline but nearly doubled the defense’s request.
Defense Plans to Appeal
Despite his guilty plea, Lizardo’s legal team plans to appeal the sentence, arguing the court overemphasized the tragic outcome and ignored mitigating factors. Prosecutors maintain that Lizardo was a willing participant in organized money laundering and that his actions led to a foreseeable, violent end…