Seventeen suspects believed to be part of a drug trafficking ring are accused of smuggling large quantities of narcotics into the Los Angeles area.
After a two-year investigation, authorities discovered the suspects used semi-trucks to import fire extinguishers filled with drugs that were concealed in scrap metal loads. The drugs were smuggled over the U.S.-Mexico border and included fentanyl, methamphetamine and heroin, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
During a two-year investigation called Operation “Smoke Jumpers,” authorities made 13 seizures in which they discovered around 680,992 fentanyl pills, 3 kilograms of fentanyl powder, 17 kilograms of heroin, and 10,418 pills containing methamphetamine.
Nine suspects who were arrested from Feb. 8-12 were identified as:
- Carlos Espinoza, 38, of Alhambra
- Fernando Salgado, 36, of Riverside
- Erick Roque Angeles, 39, of Fontana
- Rocio Guadalupe Acevedo Tonche, 32, of Ontario
- David Sanchez Balderas, 26, of Denver
- Oscar Ahumada Leyva, 43, of Mexico
- Miguel Antonio Rabago Valenzuela, 42, of Mexico
- Gustavo Rivero Rodriguez, 39, of Mexico
- Efren Quibrera Espinoza, 29, of Cudahy