3-11-2023 7:56am

3 Men Charged in Federal Criminal Complaint Alleging They Possessed 1 Million Fentanyl Pills in Their Car

Anita Johnson-Brown Editor

LOS ANGELES –The Justice Department announced today that Three men were arrested on Wednesday, March 8, 2023, in El Monte for allegedly having 1 million fentanyl pills charged in a criminal complaint with violating federal drug laws, the Justice Department announced today.

The complaint filed today charges the following defendants – each of whom is from Sinaloa, Mexico, with one count of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances:

Florencio Camacho Allan, 28;
Gerardo Gaixola-Patino, 29; and
Alex Valdez Oroz, 25.

The defendants appeared in court on March 9, 2023, in the afternoon in the United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles.

In an affidavit filed with the complaint, the defendants met with two buyers at a restaurant in El Segundo on Tuesday to discuss a 10,000-fentanyl-pill sample sale which would be followed by a deal for 1 million fentanyl pills. During the meeting, Allan and Gaixola met with the buyers while Oroz remained in the vehicle, a white Volkswagen Jetta, the affidavit states.

After the meeting, Allan and Gaixola allegedly sold 10,000 fentanyl pills to the buyers for $7,500 in the parking lot. The defendants then exited the restaurant while under the surveillance of law enforcement.

Subsequently that day, 0through a WhatsApp video call. Allan allegedly confirmed with one of the buyers that they were interested in accomplishing the 1 million pill deal and showed one buyer the pills, which were in the trunk of the Jetta.

Upon obtaining details regarding the location of the pills, law enforcement executed a traffic stop on the Jetta, which was parked in a lot at an El Monte hotel, officers searched the vehicle and allegedly discovered about 1 million fentanyl pills in the body and trunk. Law enforcement officials arrested the three defendants on Wednesday morning.

A complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

If convicted, each defendant will face a statutory maximum sentence of life in federal prison.

The Drug Enforcement Administration is investigating this matter as part of the High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) program with Homeland Security Investigations, the Hawthorne Police Department, the Fullerton Police Department, the El Monte Police Department, and the California National Guard assisting.

Assistant United States Attorneys Lyndsi C. Allsop of the Violent and Organized Crime Section and K. Afia Bondero of the General Crimes Section are prosecuting this matter.

Written by Anita Johnson-Brown