Heroin Trafficker Sentenced To 10 Years In Prison
EUGENE, Ore. -- - On June 7, 2011, U.S. District Judge Michael R. Hogan sentenced Ivan Banuelos-Escobar, 42, a resident of Los Angeles, to ten years in prison. He was also ordered to serve a supervised release term of five years. Banuelos-Escobar pled guilty earlier this year to possession with intent to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin.
The investigation was initiated in 2009 and targeted a California-based heroin trafficking organization. Banuelos-Escobar was identified as an associate of the organization who was involved in distributing heroin. On November 29, 2009, officers from the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office stopped Banuelos-Escobar’s vehicle in Roseburg, Oregon. Traveling with Banuelos-Escobar was his girlfriend, Patricia Medina, and four young children. A search of the vehicle revealed 1,758 grams of heroin packaged into 80 separate bundles. Officers also seized approximately $2,000 in cash from Medina and Banuelos-Escobar. Banuelos-Escobar and Medina were initially arrested on state charges and both were subsequently charged in federal court.
This case was investigated by Drug Enforcement Administration, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, with assistance from the Douglas Interagency Narcotics Team and the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office.
