Illegal Alien who Shot at DEA Agents Charged with Attempted Murder of a Federal Officer
PHOENIX, Ariz. – An illegal alien who shot at Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) special agents attempting to arrest him during a fentanyl sale on Feb. 24, has been indicted by a federal grand jury for attempted murder.
Eduardo Valenzuela Lopez, 33, of Cajeme, Sonora, Mexico, has been charged with Attempted Murder of a Federal Officer; Assaulting, Resisting, or Impeding a Law Enforcement Officer; Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of/Use of a Firearm During and in Relation to a Drug Trafficking Offense; Possession of a Firearm by an Alien Unlawfully Present in the United States, Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl and two counts of Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl.
His codefendant, Jael Gonzalez Banuelos, 22, of Phoenix, was also indicted for Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl and Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl. The two men were arraigned today in federal court.
“Under the leadership of President Trump and Attorney General Bondi, we are driving a nationwide effort to choke off the flow of fentanyl at every level- from transnational criminal organizations to street-level distribution,” said U.S. Attorney Timothy Courchaine. “We continue to stand by our federal agents as they confront these violent criminal networks head on.”
The indictment alleges that the men conspired to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl on Feb. 24, 2026. According to court documents, from Jan. 30, 2026, through Feb. 24, 2026, Valenzuela Lopez negotiated and coordinated the sale and delivery of approximately 50,000 fentanyl pills. Law enforcement officers became aware of the deal and tried to arrest Valenzuela Lopez and Gonzalez Banuelos as they delivered the pills. When agents approached their Dodge Ram truck, Valenzuela Lopez opened fire on officers. In response, officers returned fire. No injuries or fatalities resulted, and law enforcement officers subsequently arrested Valenzuela Lopez and Gonzalez Banuelos. Investigators then discovered a firearm on the ground by the driver’s side of the truck, as well as approximately 50,000 fentanyl pills in the truck’s passenger compartment. Later, law enforcement also located a brick of fentanyl powder weighing approximately 1 kilogram at Valenzuela Lopez’s residence.
Convictions for Attempted Murder of a Federal Officer and Assaulting, Resisting, or Impeding a Law Enforcement Officer each carry a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison. Convictions for Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of/Use of a Firearm During and in Relation to a Drug Trafficking Offense; Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl; and Possession with Intent to Distribute 400 grams or more of Fentanyl each carry a maximum sentence of life in prison. The maximum sentence for Possession of a Firearm by an Alien Unlawfully Present in the United States is 15 years in prison.
The FBI Phoenix Division investigated the assault on a federal officer. DEA Phoenix conducted the drug investigation. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Phoenix, is handling the prosecution.
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
CASE NUMBER: 26-CR-00284
RELEASE NUMBER: 2026-055_Valenzuela Lopez, Gonzalez Banuelos
