Mexican nationals caught with more than 1M fentanyl pills sentenced to 10 years

Two Mexican men caught last year in El Monte with more than 1 million fentanyl pills were each sentenced today to 10 years in federal prison.

Florencio Camacho Allan, 29, and co-defendant Gerardo Gaxiola Patiño, 30, each pleaded guilty in April in Los Angeles federal court to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

Another co-defendant, Alex Valdez Oroz, 26, also pleaded guilty to the charge and is scheduled for sentencing on Sept. 10.   

From September 2022 to March 2023, the defendants conspired with each other and others to distribute fentanyl, prosecutors said. Prior to March 7, 2023, a Mexico-based drug broker arranged a deal with a buyer to sell about 2 million fentanyl pills.

The deal was to occur in the Los Angeles area and the buyer agreed to pay 75 cents per pill. As part of the deal, the buyer also agreed to first purchase a sample "box" of 10,000 fentanyl pills at the same price, court papers show.

On March 7, 2023, the drug broker coordinated a meeting between Allan and the buyer to occur that day at a Denny's restaurant in El Segundo to buy the sample fentanyl pills. Later that day, Allan, Patiño, and Oroz arrived in a white car at the Denny's. While Oroz waited in the driver's seat, Allan and Patiño met the buyer and the buyer's associate inside the restaurant, where they discussed the plan to sell about 1 million more fentanyl pills later that day, and the sale of another 1 million fentanyl pills the next day.   

After the meeting, Allan, Patiño, the buyer and the associate went to the car, where Patiño retrieved a black bag containing roughly 10,082 fentanyl pills, weighing nearly 2.5 pounds, and handed it to the buyer in exchange for $7,500. The three defendants then drove away.

Later that day, Allan confirmed with one of the buyers that they had possession of the larger set of pills and -- via a WhatsApp video call -- showed one buyer the pills, which appeared to be in the car's trunk. They agreed to do the 1-million fentanyl pill deal in a Holiday Inn parking lot, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.   

At the Holiday Inn, law enforcement detained Allan and Oroz in the parking lot. Officers also found and detained Patiño, who was inside a hotel lobby bathroom.

Inside the car, authorities found at least three duffle bags in the trunk and back seat, each containing bundles of fentanyl pills. In total, the defendants knowingly possessed with intent to distribute over 1 million fentanyl pills, weighing about 241 pounds, federal prosecutors said.