LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Three individuals, together with two previously-deported undocumented immigrants, face expenses for allegedly working with a Mexican drug cartel to promote lethal fentanyl throughout the Las Vegas valley.
Jorge Flores-Villagran, Dulce Navarro-Martinez and Julio Pena-Garcia all face expenses linked to allegations that they conspired to distribute fentanyl, heroin and methamphetamine, information mentioned. As well as, Navarro-Martinez and Flores-Villagran face expenses for illegally re-entering the nation following prior deportations.
Drug cartels are manufacturing illicit fentanyl, a robust artificial opioid 50-to-100 occasions stronger than morphine, and mixing it with different avenue medicine. The lethal concoction is then pressed into small drugs, generally known as “blues” or “M30s.”
Overdose deaths involving using fentanyl with methamphetamine or cocaine between 2020 and 2023 in Clark County elevated by 97%, rising from 73 deaths to 144 deaths, in line with the well being district.
Final August, a Homeland Safety Investigations particular agent started an investigation into a person in Mexico distributing medicine to the Las Vegas space, paperwork mentioned. Investigators allege that Flores-Villagran, Navarro-Martinez and Pena-Garcia work as suppliers and couriers for the Mexican cartel.
Over the course of 4 managed buys starting final October, brokers seized greater than 17,000 pressed fentanyl drugs and different medicine, they mentioned. The buys occurred at parking tons within the east valley close to Craig and Losee roads.
Brokers later obtained a warrant to trace Pena-Garcia’s communications and his automotive, following it to an alleged narcotics cargo, they mentioned.
On March 27, investigators arrested the trio and searched their properties, paperwork mentioned. Investigators discovered giant quantities of medicine and money.
In 2019, Navarro-Martinez pleaded responsible to a state drug cost, paperwork mentioned. A district court docket choose later sentenced her to 12-30 months in jail. Upon her launch from jail in 2020, the federal authorities deported Navarro-Martinez and once more in 2021, paperwork mentioned.
Flores-Villagran was beforehand deported in 2023 and once more as just lately as June 2024, paperwork mentioned.
Throughout their detention hearings, Justice of the Peace Decide Daniel Albregts ordered all to stay in jail pending trial. A preliminary listening to was scheduled for April 21.
In 2024, overdose deaths elevated in Nevada and 4 different states as nationwide numbers declined, in line with provisional knowledge from the CDC.
Final month, 8 Information Now requested an ICE spokesperson how many individuals the company had arrested in southern Nevada since President Donald Trump took workplace. The spokesperson couldn’t say, including {that a} new monitoring system was anticipated to come back on-line sooner or later.
