Drugs coming across the border: 1 million fentanyl pills seized in El Monte; 3 Mexican men arrested
LOS ANGELES - Law enforcement on Wednesday seized approximately 1 million fentanyl pills from inside a Volkswagen Jetta in El Monte, and three Mexican nationals have been arrested in the case.
Florencio Camacho Allan, 28, Gerardo Gaixola-Patino, 29, and Alex Valdez Oroz, 25, have been charged in a criminal complaint with violating federal drug laws, the Justice Department announced. All three defendants are from Sinaloa, Mexico. They have each been charged with one count of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances.
According to an affidavit filed with the complaint, the defendants met with two buyers at a restaurant in El Segundo on Tuesday to discuss a 10,000-fentanyl-pill sample sale which would be followed by a deal for 1 million fentanyl pills.
During the meeting, Allan and Gaixola met with the buyers while Oroz remained in the car, a white Volkswagen Jetta, the affidavit states.
After the meeting, Allan and Gaixola went to the parking lot where they allegedly sold 10,000 fentanyl pills to the buyers for $7,500. The defendants then left the restaurant under the surveillance of law enforcement.
Later that day, Allan allegedly confirmed with one of the buyers that they were interested in doing the 1 million pill deal later that day and showed one buyer the pills, which appeared to be in the Jetta’s trunk, via a WhatsApp video call.
Law enforcement on Wednesday morning seized approximately 1 million fentanyl pills from inside a Volkswagen Jetta in El Monte.
Upon receiving information about the pills’ location, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop on the Jetta, which was stationed in a lot at an El Monte hotel, searched the car, and allegedly found approximately 1 million fentanyl pills in the car’s body and trunk. Law enforcement then arrested the three defendants on Wednesday morning.
"A complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law," the U.S. Attorney's Office wrote in a press release.
If convicted, each defendant would face a statutory maximum sentence of life in federal prison.
According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection data, the vast majority of drugs seized by Border Patrol agents are confiscated at the southern border. Methamphetamine has been the most prevalent drug seized so far in fiscal year 2023, followed closely by marijuana. Fentanyl seizures have increased nearly sixfold since 2019, with Border Patrol agents finding about 14,700 pounds of the substance last year.