SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — A Utah restaurant owner, who was previously removed from the United States in 2015, has been federally charged with drug trafficking.
Jose Gilardo Soto-Moya, 58, has been indicted by a federal grand jury for with possession of heroin with intent to distribute, possession of cocaine with intent to distribute, and reentry of a previously removed undocumented immigrant.
According to the District Attorney of Utah, the Department of Homeland Security Investigations and the Utah County Major Crimes Task Force initiated a criminal investigation into Soto-Moya and other co-conspirators associated with a drug trafficking organization. officials believed that the organization was distributing large quantities of heroin and other narcotics in Utah.
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In August 2026, agents reportedly conducted a controlled purchase of heroin from Soto-Moya at his restaurant in South Salt Lake City. A search warrant was subsequently obtained for both the restaurant and his residence…