Raul Fernandez, Heroin Trafficking, New Mexico 2015

A California man has pleaded guilty to heroin trafficking charges in New Mexico. Raul Fernandez, Jr., 29, of Simi Valley, Calif., was arrested on October 19, 2015, at the Amtrak Train Station in Albuquerque after DEA agents seized approximately two kilograms (4.4 pounds) of heroin from him.

The heroin was concealed in a false compartment in Fernandez’s luggage. He was indicted on the same charge on November 17, 2015. Fernandez pleaded guilty to a felony information charging him with possession of heroin with intent to distribute.

According to court documents, Fernandez was to be paid $5,000 for transporting the heroin from Simi Valley to Cincinnati, Ohio. He remains in custody pending a sentencing hearing, which has yet to be scheduled.

At sentencing, Fernandez faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison followed by not less than three years of supervised release.

The case was investigated by the Albuquerque office of the DEA and was prosecuted pursuant to the New Mexico Heroin and Opioid Prevention and Education (HOPE) Initiative.

The HOPE Initiative is a collaborative effort between the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center that is partnering with the Bernalillo County Opioid Accountability Initiative with the overriding goal of reducing the number of opioid-related deaths in the District of New Mexico.

Fernandez’s guilty plea is a significant blow to heroin traffickers in the region and highlights the importance of the HOPE Initiative’s law enforcement component, which targets members of major heroin trafficking organizations for investigation and prosecution.

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