News Releases and Statements

William T. Bouza, 45, of Watchung, New Jersey, was sentenced via videoconference before U.S. District Judge Susan D. Wigenton who sentenced Bouza to 168 months imprisonment, five years supervised release and a $25,000 fine. Bouza previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute heroin and possession with intent to distribute heroin on April 27, 2022.

Jonathan Zarazua, 28, of Austin, was sentenced Sept. 20 by a federal judge to serve 50 months in federal prison to immediately followed by three years of supervised release. In handing down the sentence, the court noted Zarazua was responsible for trafficking numerous loads of illegal narcotics. Zarazua pleaded guilty Jan. 13.

Jorge Costilla-Sanchez, 51, from Mexico, was sentenced Sept. 15 by a federal judge to serve the rest of his life in prison. At the hearing, the court heard additional information detailing how Costilla-Sanchez profited $5 million from drug trafficking.

Alicia Loraine Robinson, 36, from Sioux City, pleaded guilty Sept. 6 in federal court after being convicted of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and being a prohibited person in possession of firearms following a joint HSI, law enforcement partner probe.

Alessandra Olivares, 28, from San Antonio, was sentenced to serve 51 months in prison to be immediately followed by five years of supervised release. Olivares pleaded guilty Aug.18, 2021.

On Aug. 10, AZDPS detectives arrested Braulio De Diego, 30, of Mesa, and seized 35.7 pounds of fentanyl pills near State Route 101 and Chandler Boulevard, in Chandler, following a drug trafficking investigation.

Rey Moreno-Vasquez, 52, of Douglas, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Cindy K. Jorgenson; he previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.

Juan Victor Larraga-Solano, 33, was sentenced by a federal judge to serve 235 months in federal prison followed by five years of supervised release.

A local woman, who conspired to distribute methamphetamine, was sentenced July 15 to 64 months in prison following a Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and local law enforcement partner investigation. Abby Bringman, 34, pleaded guilty Feb. 4 in federal court to distribute methamphetamine.

Abiel Geronimo Fernandez, 20, from Rio Grande City, was sentenced to 140 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard that Fernandez asked someone to hide marijuana and a firearm while he was awaiting trial. The court also saw pictures from his cell phone of narcotics and firearms. In one, he was taking a selfie while wearing body armor and holding a rifle. In other photos, there were kilogram quantities of narcotics indicating this was not the first time he had transported large quantities of drugs.

Francisco Garduno Bobadilla, 58, was sentenced to serve 63 months in federal prison. In handing down the sentence, the court noted that if someone agrees to involve themselves in a crime, even if only moments before it happens, they are still held liable. Bobadilla is a not a U.S. citizen; therefore, he is expected to face removal proceedings following imprisonment. Bobadilla pleaded guilty April 29.

The awards recognize law enforcement partners for their work disrupting the flow of illicit narcotics and strengthening the nation’s response to the overdose epidemic through multi-jurisdictional collaboration.

Seven more defendants have pleaded guilty in federal court to their roles in a major drug-trafficking conspiracy and to illegally possessing firearms following a Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), joint law enforcement probe.

OFAC designated Obed Christian Sepulveda Portillo (Obed Sepulveda), pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 14059 for acting for or on behalf of the Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generacion (CJNG), a violent drug trafficking organization based in Mexico responsible for a significant proportion of fentanyl and other deadly drugs trafficked into the United States.

Patricia Pinto, 46, from Crete, Illinois, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to import and conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 1,000 kilograms or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of marijuana.

Maria Arredondo De Sanchez, 56, was arrested June 30 upon attempting to enter the U.S. through the San Luis Port of Entry where CBP officers discovered 105 packages hidden in Arredondo De Sanchez’s car.

Juan Carlos Juarez-Torres, 41, previously pleaded guilty on Oct. 13, 2021, to conspiracy to import marijuana, conspiracy to distribute marijuana, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute marijuana, and conspiracy to commit money laundering.

According to the criminal complaints filed last week, in January 2020, AZDPS began an investigation targeting a drug and firearms supplier in South Phoenix. In February 2021, in conjunction with the AZDPS investigation, the FBI Violent Street Gang Task Force began investigating the Lindo Park Crips (LPC), a criminal street gang operating in South Phoenix.

Modesta Solano, 51, previously pleaded guilty on April 6, to conspiracy to distribute fentanyl.

Jamaar Charles Samuels, 39, of Tucson, Arizona, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Scott H. Rash, who also sentenced Samuel’s co-defendant Patrick Michael La Fever, 60, also of Tucson, last summer to 97 months in prison followed by 60 months of supervised release. Both men previously pleaded guilty to a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and, in La Fever’s case, the conspiracy included the distribution of heroin. 

Sergio Geovany Cruz-Sabillon, 32, of Rio Lindo, Honduras, was sentenced by Senior U.S. District Judge Raner C. Collins, who previously pleaded guilty to drug charges.

Connie Sue Lorenzo-Molina, 30, of Slater, Missouri, previously pleaded guilty to importation of methamphetamine.

Edwin Lopez-Chavez, 28, was sentenced Tuesday in the Southern District of Texas. On March 25 he was convicted of possession with intent to distribute cocaine after a jury deliberated for less than five hours following a two-day trial.

According to his plea agreement, Cole Thomas Salazar, 32, used an online classified advertisement service to offer controlled substances for sale. After communicating online with the victim – identified in court documents by the initials S.E.F. – Salazar sold fentanyl to S.E.F. on Nov. 2, 2020.

These efforts yielded seizures of more than 478,000 counterfeit pharmaceutical pills laced with fentanyl, as well as about 51 kilograms of methamphetamine, 10 kilograms of cocaine, 4 kilograms of powder fentanyl, and 4 kilograms of heroin. Agents also seized about $230,000 in assets.