Two people from Mandeville pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court Judge Mary Vialemon’s courtroom in connection with last year’s arrest in Kenner on drug possession charges.

According to U.S. Attorney Jim Letten’s office, Joseph Otero, 22 and Sandy Zara, 40, accepted a package containing cocaine from a federal agent disguised as a FedEx employee.

Drug Enforcement Administration agents were told by Brownsville, Texas police that they had intercepted a FedEx package containing about 1 kilogram of cocaine. The package was addressed to a house on David Drive in Metairie. The undercover agent delivered the package Oct. 1, 2008, and Zara, who knew Otero through his relationship with her daughter, signed for the package. DEA agents said Zara knew what was in the package after they intercepted several telephone calls between Zara and Otero.

A half hour later Otero came back to the David Drive house and was approached by the DEA. Otero ran into the house and locked the door. DEA agents broke into the house and arrested Zara and Otero. After a search of the house, they found the FedEx box with the cocaine hidden in the ceiling. Agents also found cocaine and marijuana stashed inside tin cans with fake compartments.

DEA agents also had search warrants for Zara’s house in Mandeville, and Otero’s other house in Kenner. Zara’s daughter and Otero were living together in the Mandeville house. In the Kenner house, agents found more marijuana and several assault rifles. In the Mandeville house, agents found bags of marijuana, cocaine residue on equipment used to process cocaine and an assault rifle with ammunition.

Otero pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute cocaine, possession of marijuana and possession of two firearms.

Zara pleaded guilty to misprision of a felony, which means she knew that a felony was committed, but did not report it to the authorities.