Paulino Rafael Quirazco-Valencia, Heroin and Methamphetamine Traffi…

Paulino Rafael Quirazco-Valencia, a 30-year-old Las Vegas man, was sentenced to 70 months in federal prison and four years of supervised release for possession with intent to distribute nearly 400 grams of heroin and methamphetamine. The sentence, handed down by U.S. District Judge Robert C. Jones, marks the end of a DEA-led investigation that exposed a tightly packed drug operation rooted in the city’s underground market.

Quirazco-Valencia pleaded guilty to a single count of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance. According to court records, in January 2016, DEA agents observed him and co-defendant Arnold Gutierrez, also 30 and of Las Vegas, tampering with the interior of a vehicle parked at a local apartment complex—a move consistent with stashing narcotics. When the two drove off, law enforcement moved in, stopping the vehicle and securing consent to search.

Inside the car, officers found 277 grams of heroin packed in colored balloons and baggies in the center console—packaging typical of street-level distribution. Under the front middle seat, they recovered a loaded Sig Sauer .38 caliber handgun. Quirazco-Valencia admitted on the spot that the drugs were his and that he was en route to deliver them to a buyer. He also consented to a search of his home.

That search, combined with evidence from the traffic stop, turned up a total haul of 395.4 grams of heroin, 4.6 grams of methamphetamine, and $19,290 in cash—cash investigators believe was tied to drug sales. The sheer volume and packaging of the narcotics painted a clear picture: this was not personal use, but a commercial-scale operation.

Co-defendant Arnold Gutierrez pleaded guilty to two counts of possession with intent to distribute and was sentenced to 24 months in prison, with both counts running concurrently. The pair were indicted on February 9, 2016, following months of surveillance and intelligence gathering by federal agents.

“The defendant concealed the drugs in his vehicle with the intent to avoid law enforcement detection,” said U.S. Attorney Daniel G. Bogden of the District of Nevada. “We remain committed to working with the DEA and other law enforcement partners in keeping dangerous drugs off our streets.” The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon Jaroch.