Three Mexican Nationals with Over 1 Million Fentanyl Pills Plead Guilty in Los Angeles
Guilty Plea to Federal Narcotics Charge
In Los Angeles, three men from Sinaloa, Mexico, admitted their roles in a drug trafficking operation. Florencio Camacho Allan, Gerardo Gaxiola Patiño, and Alex Valdez Oroz pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl. This charge implicates them in a scheme to distribute over 1 million fentanyl pills.
The Plea Agreement: September 2022 to March 2023
According to their plea agreements, the defendants engaged in a conspiracy from September 2022 to March 2023. They planned to distribute fentanyl knowingly. A Mexico-based drug broker facilitated a sale of approximately 2 million fentanyl pills to a buyer in Los Angeles, setting the price at about 75 cents per pill. An initial sale of a sample box containing around 10,000 pills at the same rate was agreed upon.
Events on March 7, 2023
On this day, the broker arranged for Allan and the buyer to meet at a Denny’s restaurant in El Segundo to transact the sample fentanyl pills. Allan, Patiño, and Oroz, arriving in a white car, negotiated further sales inside the restaurant. Afterward, Patiño handed over a bag containing 10,082 fentanyl pills to the buyer for $7,500. The trio then left the scene. Later, Allan confirmed the transaction and arranged another deal for 1 million fentanyl pills in a Holiday Inn parking lot.
Discovery and Arrest
Law enforcement detained Allan and Oroz at the Holiday Inn, with Patiño found inside the lobby bathroom. Officers discovered at least three duffle bags in their white car, containing a total of 1,016,270 fentanyl pills. This find confirmed their intent to distribute a substantial amount of fentanyl.
Upcoming Sentencing Hearing
Judge Stanley Blumenfeld Jr. has set the sentencing hearing for August 13. At this hearing, each defendant will confront a mandatory minimum of 10 years in federal prison, with the possibility of life imprisonment. This sentence underscores the severe consequences of engaging in drug trafficking, particularly involving potent substances like fentanyl.
The guilty pleas entered by Allan, Patiño, and Oroz reflect the justice system’s ongoing efforts to combat the fentanyl crisis. With their sentencing on the horizon, they face significant prison terms, highlighting the harsh realities of participating in drug distribution networks.
