A notorious fentanyl trafficker has been brought to justice after being extradited from Honduras to face charges in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Gustavo Erazo, a 49-year-old Honduran national, was arrested in November 2022 outside an apartment in Berkeley, Calif., where he was carrying nearly four pounds of suspected drugs, including almost a kilogram of suspected fentanyl.
According to court documents, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) learned after Erazo was charged in federal court that he had traveled back to Honduras. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with Honduran authorities and the DEA to secure the arrest and extradition of Erazo, who arrived back in the United States on Dec. 19, 2024.
Erazo appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Sallie Kim today for arraignment on the indictment and further proceedings. He is next scheduled to appear in court for a status hearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge Lisa J. Cisneros on Dec. 23, 2024.
An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted, Erazo faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment and a maximum fine of $10,000,000 on Counts 1 and 2, and a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison and a maximum fine of $5,000,000 on Counts 3 and 4.
He also faces a lifetime term of supervised release and a mandatory $100 special assessment on each count.
The case is the result of an investigation by the DEA, with assistance from the San Francisco Police Department. United States Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey and DEA Special Agent in Charge Bob P. Beris made the announcement.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas Parker is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Jessie Chelsea and Linda Love.
Key Facts
- State: California
- Category: Drug Trafficking
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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