Major Drug Trafficking And Firearm Offenses Lead To Multiple Sentences
U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced the sentencing of five persons involved in a large narcotics enterprise as part of a massive crackdown on drug trafficking and firearm violations.
Juan Alejandro Comparan-Guzman, 28, of Kerman, was sentenced to 15 years in jail, while Rita Ann-Marie Louis, 32, of Carnation, Washington, was sentenced to four years in prison.
Both were convicted of fentanyl, methamphetamine, and heroin trafficking.
Extensive Investigation Uncovers Wide-Reaching Drug Network
The penalties were imposed following a nine-month investigation into a drug-trafficking enterprise with operations in California, Colorado, Nebraska, Oregon, and Washington. Not only Comparan-Guzman and Louis were participating in this operation, but so were 11 other people.
Around 7 pounds of cocaine, 2 pounds of heroin, 137 pounds of methamphetamine, over 34,000 fentanyl-laced tablets, and $142,000 in cash were seized by law authorities.
The investigation was led by the High Impact Investigation Team (HIIT), which is part of the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Initiative (HIDTA).
It involved various agencies, including the FBI, the California Department of Justice, and local law enforcement.
Snapchat Drug Sales Lead to Additional Sentences
Armando Chavez Jr., 22, of Fresno, was sentenced to five years in prison for using a handgun in the commission of a narcotics trafficking offense.
Chavez was arrested following an investigation into his selling of fentanyl-laced counterfeit oxycodone tablets on the social media site Snapchat.
His arrest was part of Operation Synthetic Opioid Surge (S.O.S. ), an operation aimed at reducing synthetic opioids and identifying key players in distribution networks.
Further Sentences Highlight the Scope of the Drug Network
Adrian Arredondo Alvarado, 34, of Orosi, was sentenced to eight years in prison and seven months in prison for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and marijuana.
For similar offenses, Ivan Vasquez, 35, of Oregon, was sentenced to five years and three months in prison.
According to the United States Department of Justice (DOJ), five defendants and two co-defendants from California, Washington, and Oregon were sentenced on Monday for a series of drug trafficking and firearm offenses.https://t.co/KV75mVA3zt pic.twitter.com/vQbAykyoe5
— KSEE24 Fresno (@KSEE24) January 9, 2024
Alvarado, a known dealer and producer, provided Vasquez with nearly 5 kilograms of methamphetamine. This phase of the investigation was led by the DEA, with support from local law enforcement.
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Continued Efforts to Combat Drug Trafficking
The charges were prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin J. Gilio, who stressed the importance of these convictions in the continued fight against drug trafficking and related crimes.
These prosecutions and punishments show federal and local agencies’ ongoing efforts to destroy drug trafficking networks and reduce the spread of illegal narcotics and guns in communities.
