Felon Rafael Maldonado-Solario Indicted for Fentanyl and Gun Crimes

Felon Rafael Maldonado-Solario, 46, of Salt Lake City, has been indicted by a federal grand jury for allegedly distributing fentanyl in the Salt Lake Valley.

According to court documents, Maldonado-Solario was under investigation by agents for his alleged role in distributing the deadly opioid. On May 9, 2024, agents seized 2,290 grams of blue pills stamped M30 at Maldonado-Solario’s apartment in Salt Lake City. The pills were field tested and confirmed to contain fentanyl, a highly addictive and potent synthetic opioid.

In addition to the fentanyl, law enforcement also seized a Taurus CCP .380 handgun inside Maldonado-Solario’s apartment. As a previously convicted felon, Maldonado-Solario is restricted from possessing a firearm, making this charge a serious offense.

Maldonado-Solario is charged with possession of a firearm as a previously convicted felon, possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute, and illegal reentry of a previously removed alien. His initial court appearance on the indictment is scheduled for May 23, 2024, at 10:30 a.m. in courtroom 8.4 before a U.S. Magistrate Judge at the United States District Courthouse in downtown Salt Lake City.

The case is being investigated jointly by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Utah State Bureau of Investigations (SBI), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement/Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE ERO). Assistant United States Attorney Cameron P. Warner of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah is prosecuting the case.

The indictment comes as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program aimed at reducing violent crime and gun violence by bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve. An indictment is merely an allegation, and Maldonado-Solario is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.