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Fentanyl Trafficking, California 2025
A brazen operation to distribute 150,000 fentanyl pills in Madera County, California has been foiled by law enforcement officials.
According to court documents, Jesus Valdez Castaneda, 28, of San Bernardino, Carlos German Fierro, 29, of Caruthers, and Alejandro Soto Mares, 43, of Mexico, conspired with other individuals to distribute and possess with intent to distribute over 400 grams of fentanyl.
The men arranged to sell the illicit pills in a strip mall parking lot in Madera on February 21, 2025. After agreeing on the price, Fierro and two other co-conspirators arrived with the pills in a second car.
Before completing the deal, the men went into a nearby Panda Express restaurant to order food. Nearby officers then converged on the men and arrested them. Officers seized 150,000 pills and two firearms.
This case is the product of an investigation by the High Impact Investigation Team, which is composed of personnel from the California Department of Justice, Fresno Police Department, Fresno County Sheriff’s Office, California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, Madera County Sheriff’s Office, Kings County Sheriff’s Office, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Assistant United States Attorneys Arin C. Heinz and Cody S. Chapple are prosecuting the case. All defendants were detained and are in custody awaiting trial.
If convicted, each defendant faces a minimum statutory penalty of 10 years and maximum statutory penalty of life in prison and a $10 million fine for the drug charge. Fierro faces an additional minimum statutory penalty of five years for possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
The charges are only allegations; the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Key Facts
- State: California
- Category: Drug Trafficking
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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