(Bloomberg) -- A ruling-party deputy from the Dominican Republic was arrested in Miami late Monday on drug trafficking charges, the U.S. Department of Justice said.

Miguel Andres Gutierrez Diaz, 58, is facing allegations that he was part of a transnational cocaine smuggling ring from 2014 to 2017 that operated between the Dominican Republic, Colombia and the U.S.

In March, a U.S. grand jury indicted Gutierrez and others on charges of conspiracy to import, possess and distribute cocaine in the U.S. If convicted, he faces up to life in prison.

Gutierrez’s office didn’t immediately answer calls and emails seeking comment.

Gutierrez, a member of the ruling Modern Revolutionary Party, was elected to the chamber of deputies in 2020 representing the city of Santiago.

Local media said he had taken a commercial flight to Miami when he was detained. Gutierrez will make his initial federal court appearance Tuesday afternoon, the DOJ said.

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