Mexican National Pleads Guilty to Distributing Fentanyl and Fentanyl-Related Substance
FRESNO, Calif. — Oscar Arturo Salomon Perez, aka Jesus Ramos, aka Jesus Rodriguez-Ramos, 48, a native and citizen of Mexican, pleaded guilty today to distributing fentanyl and p‑fluorofentanyl, an analogue of fentanyl, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert and Drug Enforcement Administration Acting Special Agent in Charge Bob P. Beris announced.
According to court documents, in October 2021 Perez negotiated for the sale of 10,000 counterfeit oxycodone pills laced with fentanyl and one kilogram of “Chinese Food,” believed to be synthetic heroin laced with fentanyl. After confirming the prices with his source of supply in Mexico, Perez advised that it would cost $3 per pill and $22,000 for the “Chinese Food.” Perez requested an additional $1,000 for making the delivery in Fresno for a total of $53,000. An undercover agent agreed to the terms. A couple hours later, Perez met with and showed the agent a large clear plastic bag containing 10,004 blue pills marked “M-30” containing fentanyl and another clear plastic bag containing about two pounds of p-fluorofentanyl in powder form. When the agent advised that another car was bringing the money, Perez fled and was eventually stopped by Fresno County Sheriff’s Office deputies. Agents found another 219 blue pills marked “M-30” containing fentanyl in Perez’s vehicle.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Fresno High Impact Investigation Team (HIIT), which is a High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Initiative (HIDTA) composed of law enforcement personnel from the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Drug Enforcement Administration; the California Department of Justice; the California Highway Patrol; the Fresno, Tulare, and Kings Counties Sheriff’s Offices; and the Fresno Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Escobar is prosecuting the case.
Perez is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Thurston on April 17, 2023. Perez faces a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison, a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, and a $10 million fine. The actual sentence, 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.
