United States Drug Enforcement Administration

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Jose Cruz Ivan Aispuro, 38, a Mexican national residing in Stockton, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to distribute heroin and fentanyl and distribution of fentanyl, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert and Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent in Charge Brian Clark announced.

According to court documents, between November 2018 and December 2019, Aispuro and co-defendant Frank Guzman, of Stockton, conspired to distribute and possess with intent to distribute heroin and counterfeit pharmaceutical pills containing fentanyl. As part of this conspiracy, Aispuro supplied heroin that Guzman sold to a confidential source and undercover agent on three occasions. Aispuro also supplied 500 counterfeit oxycodone pills containing fentanyl that Guzman sold to the undercover agent on two occasions. Approximately 4.5 kilograms of heroin and $42,066 in cash were seized from Aispuro’s residence. Aispuro has agreed to forfeit the $42,066 to the United States as part of his plea agreement. Approximately 10,000 counterfeit oxycodone pills containing fentanyl and 2.8 kilograms of heroin were seized from Guzman’s residence.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service and the San Joaquin Metropolitan Drug Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney David W. Spencer is prosecuting the case.

Aispuro is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge John A. Mendez on Jan. 9, 2024. Guzman is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 12, 2023. Aispuro and Guzman each face a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison 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 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.