Two Mexican nationals were sentenced to federal prison for conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and possession of the drug by a federal judge in Los Angeles on Aug. 13.
Florencio Camacho Allan, 29, and Gerardo Gaxiola Patiño, 30, were sentenced to 10 years each after they pleaded guilty in April to one count each of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl, a deadly synthetic opioid that is up to 100 times stronger than morphine.
Another co-defendant, Alex Valdez Oroz, 26, will be sentenced Sept. 10.
According to federal prosecutors with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Los Angeles, the defendants conspired with one another and others from September 2022 to March 2023 to distribute fentanyl.
The crime originated after a Mexican-based drug dealer in Sinaloa arranged a deal with an undercover law enforcement officer posing as a buyer for about 2 million fentanyl pills, according to federal prosecutors.
The deal was planned to occur in the Los Angeles area and the buyer agreed to pay about 75 cents per pill, prosecutors said.
As part of the deal, the buyer also agreed to buy a sample box of about 10,000 fentanyl pills at the same price, prosecutors said.
In March 2023, the drug broker scheduled a meeting between Allan and the buyer to occur at a Denny’s restaurant in El Segundo to buy the sample pills. Later that day, Allan, Patiño, and Oroz arrived in a white car at the location, authorities said.
While Oroz was waiting in the driver’s seat, Allan and Patiño met the buyer and an associate inside the restaurant, where they discussed a plan to sell about 1 million more fentanyl pills later that day, and another million the next day.
After the meeting, Allan and Patiño retrieved the sample bag containing more than 10,000 fentanyl pills from the car and sold it to the buyer for $7,500. Law enforcement surveilled the three suspects when they left, according to court documents.
Prosecutors say later that day, Allan confirmed possession of 1 million additional fentanyl pills to one of the buyers via a WhatsApp video call, during which undercover officers were shown the pills were in the trunk of the suspects’ car. The buyer agreed to purchase the 1 million pills at a Holiday Inn parking lot.
Law enforcement officers pulled the suspects over during a traffic stop and searched the vehicle. Authorities found at least three duffle bags in the trunk and back seat of the white car, each containing bundles of fentanyl pills.
Allan, Patiño, and Oroz were arrested and charged with knowingly possessing more than 1 million fentanyl pills.
