Two Mexican Natives Sentenced for Conspiracy To Distribute Methamphetamine and Heroin in the Central Valley
RESNO, Calif. — Antonio Valencia-Hernandez, 65, and Jose Reyes-Pineda, 48, natives and citizens of Mexico, were sentenced today to 12 years and three months and one and a half years in prison, respectively, for conspiring to distribute methamphetamine and heroin, Acting U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, Valencia, Reyes, and co-defendants, Antonio Castellanos, 38, of Whittier, and Genaro Serrato-Calles, 49, a native and citizen of Mexico, have pleaded guilty to a two-year conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and heroin in the Central Valley. Serrato had Valencia pick up about 11 pounds of methamphetamine from Reyes in Anaheim for distribution in Modesto. In addition, Valencia distributed a half-pound of heroin and a pound of methamphetamine during seven undercover transactions in Stanislaus and San Joaquin Counties.
Serrato is scheduled for sentencing on Dec. 13, 2021, and Castellanos is scheduled for sentencing on Jan. 18, 2022. Serrato and Castellanos face a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison, a statutory mandatory minimum prison term of 10 years, and a $10 million fine. The actual sentences, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Homeland Security Investigations; the Central Valley High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force; the San Joaquin County Metropolitan Narcotics Task Force; the Stanislaus Drug Enforcement Agency; and the Orange County Sheriff’s Special Investigations Bureau. Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Escobar with assistance from Assistant U.S. Attorney Melanie Alsworth.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
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