FRESNO, Calif. (KERO) — The U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of California said the self-proclaimed "M30 king of Fresno,” Horacio Torrecillas Urias Jr., and 17 other people were charged on suspicion of trafficking fentanyl powder, fentanyl pills, cocaine, and methamphetamine.
According to court documents, an investigation started after a series of fentanyl-pill overdoses in the Fresno area caused by counterfeit oxycodone M30 tablets containing fentanyl, referred to on the street as M30s.
The investigation, dubbed “Operation Killer High,” uncovered a large drug-trafficking ring led by Horacio Torrecillas Urias Jr., the self-proclaimed “M30 king of Fresno,” said the U.S. Attorney's Office.
According to arrest documents, Torrecillas Urias Jr. was getting tens of thousands of counterfeit M30 fentanyl pills and large quantities of fentanyl powder, cocaine and methamphetamine directly from sources in Mexico.
He and the 17 other people then distributed these drugs to dealers inside and outside California.
During the investigation, federal, state, and other law enforcement agents did traffic stops, intercepted packages, and obtained search warrants that resulted in finding more than 55,000 M30 fentanyl pills, six pounds of fentanyl powder, 10 pounds of methamphetamine, a pound of cocaine, 25 firearms, and hundreds of rounds of ammunition, said the U.S. Attorney's Office.
“Many of the deaths and near deaths in drug overdoses are caused by counterfeit pills that look like prescription pills, but are not and actually contain fentanyl. The user may be unaware that the pills contain fentanyl and can be deadly,” said U.S. Attorney Talbert. “The charges announced today and the seizure of illicit drugs demonstrate our combined commitment to prevent the flow of these dangerous drugs into our communities.”
Those arrested on suspicion of drug trafficking are Urias Jr., of Fresno; Amadeo Sarabia Jr., of Fresno; Justin Dwayne Riddle, of Las Cruces, New Mexico; Alma Garza, of Fresno; Juan Valencia Jr., of Fresno; Abel Lozano, of Sanger; Henry Cox, of Sanger; Alejandro Guzman, of Fresno; Erica Ramirez, of Fresno; Brayan Cruz, of Fresno; Jacob Valles, of Fresno; Cody Fyfe, of Fresno; Christian Harris-Blanchette, of Fresno; Marvin Carreno, of Fresno; Victor Yair Torrecillas-Urias, of Fresno; Oscar Jaramillo-Cortez, of Fresno; Alex Garcia, of Fresno; and Agustin Hernandez.
