State and local authorities announced felony charges Tuesday against three alleged Mexican drug cartel affiliates accused of plotting to sell 50 pounds of fentanyl in Los Angeles.
L.A. County Dist. Atty. Nathan Hochman touted the bust alongside state Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta during a news conference at the downtown Hall of Justice, with officials estimating the street value of the drugs seized at $55 million.
“This is our biggest bust yet,” Bonta said.
Bonta said the operation began in January when investigators received “reliable information” suggesting Torrance resident Priscilla Gomez, 43, was a drug courier. She was arrested after a search during a traffic stop by Downey police uncovered fentanyl in her car, officials said. Another cache of drugs was found in a Downey apartment, said to include “indications of a Mexican cartel.”
In addition to the 50 pounds of fentanyl, authorities found nearly 12 pounds of opium.
“There’s no telling how many lives would be tragically cut short and how many communities would have been devastated had these drugs been distributed,” Bonta said. “Thankfully, this time, we won’t have to find out.”
Gomez is currently in federal custody facing three counts of possession for sale of a controlled substance and one count of sale, transportation or offer to sell a controlled substance.
A preliminary hearing for her brother, Gustavo Omar Gomez, 47, and another trafficking suspect, Carlos Manuel Mariscal, 35 — is scheduled for March 20 at the Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center, a news release said. Both men are charged with two counts of possession for sale of a controlled substance, and Mariscal is also charged with unlawful possession of ammunition.
If convicted, Mariscal faces 31 years in prison, while Priscilla and Gustavo Omar Gomez face 28 and 24 years, respectively.
Hochman said that the charges served as a stern warning to fentanyl traffickers, whom he called “fentanyl poisoners.”
“Our collective message is clear,” Hochman said. “It’s consistent to those distributing illicit fentanyl throughout our communities and, in the process, inflicting pain, suffering and death on Californians: We will prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law.”
In 2023, drug fatalities plateaued in L.A. County for the first time in a decade, but overdoses remain the leading cause of death among Americans ages 18 to 44.