Man Sent Wife on Drug-Money Run that Resulted in Her Brutal Murder

A Florida man has been sentenced to seven years in federal prison after a drug-money run ended with his wife’s brutal and fiery death.

Miguel Aguasvivas Lizardo, 35, pleaded guilty in April to conspiracy to commit money laundering, but the case took a dark turn when prosecutors linked him to the circumstances that led to the killing of his wife, Katherine Aguasvivas.

Authorities say the 41-year-old was carjacked in broad daylight on April 11, 2024, in Winter Springs, just north of Orlando. Caught on a bystander’s cellphone, a green Acura rammed her white Dodge Durango before a masked gunman climbed into her backseat. With a red light trapping her in place, she called Lizardo — who told her not to stop. The assailant forced her to follow the Acura nearly 24 miles before stopping at a remote Kissimmee construction site. There, prosecutors believe she was shot multiple times, doused in lighter fluid, and set on fire. Her charred remains were later identified through dental records.

Investigators allege Lizardo sent his wife in his place that day to pick up $170,000 in Colombian cartel cash, claiming he couldn’t make the trip from their home in Homestead. The defense says Katherine went willingly and had done similar runs before, but prosecutors argued she was put directly in harm’s way.

Lizardo’s attorneys asked for a 41-month sentence, citing his role as a devoted father to his young daughter — who is now without either parent — but the judge sided with prosecutors, saying Lizardo deserved significant prison time. The maximum sentence for the charge was 20 years; the seven-year term came in just under federal guidelines’ top end.

The defense has indicated plans to appeal, but for now, Lizardo remains behind bars while Katherine’s murder — and who exactly was responsible — remains under investigation.