Drug Kingpin Busted

⏱ 2 min read

A large-scale drug operation in Berkeley and Jefferson Counties, West Virginia, with ties to the notorious Sinaloa Drug Cartel in Mexico, has been busted. David Reyes, a 61-year-old Hagerstown, Maryland man, has admitted to his role in the operation, which involved distributing cocaine, fentanyl, and heroin. The operation was led by Saul Alex Padilla-Garcia and involved 17 others, including Reyes, who worked with individuals in Puerto Rico to further the drug operation.

The group used an autobody shop in Martinsburg, West Virginia, as a front for their trafficking operation, importing significant amounts of drugs from Puerto Rico through the U.S. Postal Service and from a source connected to the Sinaloa Cartel. The Eastern Panhandle Drug Task Force led the investigation, with assistance from multiple agencies, including the FBI, DEA, and Homeland Security Investigations.

Reyes pled guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute cocaine, fentanyl, and heroin. He was a source of supply, organizer, and decision-maker within the drug conspiracy. Of the 18 defendants in the case, 12 have entered guilty pleas, and 8 have been sentenced for their roles in the organization.

The investigation and prosecution of this case demonstrate the ongoing efforts of law enforcement to disrupt and dismantle large-scale drug trafficking operations in West Virginia and beyond. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lara Omps-Botteicher on behalf of the government.