Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Here’s how you know

Dot gov

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Https

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( Lock A locked padlock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

  • Who We Are
    • About
    • Mission
    • History
    • Divisions
      • Atlanta
        • Atlanta Leadership
        • Atlanta Contacts
      • Caribbean
        • Caribbean Leadership
        • Caribbean Contacts
      • Chicago
        • Chicago Leadership
        • Chicago Contacts
      • Dallas
        • Dallas Leadership
        • Dallas Contacts
      • Denver
        • Denver Leadership
        • Denver Contacts
      • Detroit
        • Detroit Contacts
      • El Paso
        • El Paso Contacts
      • Headquarters
      • Houston
        • Houston Leadership
        • Houston Contacts
      • Los Angeles
        • Los Angeles Leadership
        • Los Angeles Contacts
      • Louisville
        • Louisville Leadership
        • Louisville Contacts
      • Miami
        • Miami Leadership
        • Miami Contacts
      • New England
        • New England Leadership
        • New England Contacts
      • New Jersey
        • New Jersey Leadership
        • New Jersey Contacts
      • New Orleans
        • New Orleans Leadership
        • New Orleans Contacts
      • New York
        • New York Leadership
        • New York Contacts
      • Omaha
        • Omaha Leadership
        • Omaha Contacts
      • Philadelphia
        • Philadelphia Leadership
        • Philadelphia Contacts
      • Phoenix
        • Phoenix Leadership
        • Phoenix Contacts
      • San Diego
        • San Diego Leadership
        • San Diego Contacts
      • San Francisco
        • San Francisco Leadership
        • San Francisco Contacts
      • Seattle
        • Seattle Contacts
      • St. Louis
        • St. Louis Leadership
        • St. Louis Contacts
      • Washington, DC
        • Washington Leadership
        • Washington Contacts
    • DEA Museum
    • Foreign Offices
      • Africa
      • Andean
      • Caribbean
      • Europe
      • Far East
      • Middle East
      • North and Central America
      • Southern Cone
    • Operational Divisions
      • Aviation Division
      • Diversion Control Division
    • Wall of Honor
    • Contact Us
      • Submit a Tip
      • Extortion Scam
      • Congressional and Public Affairs
      • Social Media Directory
  • What We Do
    • Law Enforcement
      • DEA Office of Training
        • Office of Training Programs
      • El Paso Intelligence Center (EPIC)
        • Leadership
        • Mission
        • Services
        • Contacts
      • Forensic Sciences
        • Computer Forensics Program
        • Environmental Management
        • Laboratories
      • Intelligence
      • Operations
        • Administrative Law Judges
        • DEA Asset Forfeiture
        • Domestic Cannabis Suppression / Eradication Program
        • HIDTA
        • OCDETF
        • State and Local Task Forces
    • Education and Prevention
      • Operation Engage
      • Community Outreach
      • Just Think Twice
      • Campus Drug Prevention
      • Get Smart About Drugs
      • Operation Prevention
    • Drug Information
      • Drug Policy
      • Drug Scheduling
      • The Controlled Substances Act
    • News
      • Alerts
      • Press Releases
      • Most Wanted Fugitives
        • All Fugitives
      • Stories
      • Events
      • Speeches
      • Testimony
    • Campaigns
      • One Pill Can Kill
        • Partner Toolbox
        • Social Media Campaign
      • DEA National Prescription Drug Take Back Day
      • Red Ribbon
        • Kiki and the History of Red Ribbon Week
        • Red Ribbon Toolkit - Resources For Your Community
  • Careers
    • Special Agent
      • Contact Your Local Recruiter
      • Special Agent FAQs
      • Special Agent Job Announcements
      • What it takes to be a DEA Special Agent
    • Diversion Investigator
    • Intelligence Research Specialist
      • Intelligence Research Specialist Job Announcements
      • Intelligence Research Specialists FAQs
      • Schedule A Hiring Authority: Intelligence Research Specialist
    • Forensic Sciences Careers
    • Professional & Administrative Careers
    • Student & Entry Level Careers
    • How to Apply
      • Equal Opportunity Employer
      • Employment Requirements
      • How To Claim Veterans' Preference
      • Priority Consideration
      • Benefits
      • Veterans and People With Disabilities
  • Resources
    • Recovery Resources
    • Data and Statistics
      • Domestic Arrests
      • Staffing and Budget
    • FOIA
      • About FOIA
      • Contact DEA FOIA
      • Make a Request
      • What Happens After Making a Request
      • Requester Categories
      • Fees Charged
      • Fee Waiver
      • FOIA FAQ
      • FOIA Library
      • FOIA Logs and Reports
      • FOIA Additional Resources
      • Additional FOIA Links
      • FOIA Exemptions
      • What Are Exclusions?
      • Privacy Act
      • Privacy Act Exemptions
      • Privacy Impact Assessment and Management Information Systems
    • Publications
    • Media Galleries
    • Victim Witness Assistance Program
      • Victim Witness Assistance Program Resources

United States Drug Enforcement Administration

  • Search
  • Full Menu

Main Menu

  • Who We Are
  • What We Do
  • Careers
  • Resources
  • Submit A Tip
  • Get Updates

Drug Enforcement Administration

William Bodner Special Agent in Charge
Los Angeles
@dealosangeles
October 04, 2018
Contact: Nicole Nishida
Phone Number: (571) 387-3136
For Immediate Release

Van Nuys man arrested for selling fentanyl that resulted in death in first case investigated by DEA-led opioid overdose task force

LOS ANGELES - A Van Nuys man has been arrested on federal charges that he sold the powerful synthetic opioid fentanyl to a 23-year-old victim, who then suffered a fatal overdose.  James Dorion Rodriguez, 27, was arrested Wednesday afternoon at a motel in Mission Hills.

Rodriguez was taken into custody by officers with the Los Angeles Police Department, with the assistance of agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration. The arrest followed Rodriguez being charged in the first indictment brought under a new task force to investigate opioid overdoses.

The indictment, which was returned by a federal grand jury on Sept. 28, charges Rodriguez with distributing the lethal dose of fentanyl. The case was unsealed today after Rodriguez was turned over the federal authorities.

The arrest of Rodriguez signals the first case brought under a new state-federal law enforcement partnership established to aggressively investigate opioid overdose deaths and prosecute the responsible drug dealers. The Drug Enforcement Administration’s newly formed Tactical Diversion Squad is part of the Southern California Drug Task Force, which operates under the auspices of the Los Angeles High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area program.

“DEA wants to send a very strong and clear message to street opioid dealers: You are predators and the federal law enforcement system will not tolerate you,” said DEA Associate Special Agent in Charge Daniel Comeaux.

“With this state and federal partnership, we are going after drug dealers who leave a trail of death and misery in their wake,” said United States Attorney Nick Hanna. “Fentanyl is a highly dangerous synthetic drug that has caused countless overdose deaths in our community, and we will use every tool at our disposal to send the dealers to federal prison.”

A search warrant also unsealed today details an investigation after the overdose victim was found deceased in his crashed car in a restaurant parking lot on Ventura Boulevard in Sherman Oaks on the morning of March 18. The affidavit in support of the search warrant reflects how investigators used surveillance video, phone records and witness statements to determine that Rodriguez supplied the narcotics to the victim only hours before he was found dead. The affidavit also states that Rodriguez had intended to sell cocaine to the man, but accidentally gave him fentanyl instead. The overdose was the result of him snorting the drugs.

The affidavit documents how Rodriguez sold the fentanyl only one month after he was convicted on felony cocaine trafficking charges in Los Angeles Superior Court. When he was arrested on that state case in April 2017, Rodriguez was in possession of cocaine, various pharmaceutical narcotics and marijuana.

Rodriguez is expected to be arraigned on the indictment this afternoon in United States District Court.

If convicted of the charge in the new indictment, Rodriguez would face a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years in federal prison. The statutory maximum sentence for the narcotics distribution charge is life without parole.

The investigation was conducted by the Los Angeles Police Department’s Valley Homicide Bureau and the Drug Enforcement Administration.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Benjamin Barron of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force.

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Email

SAMHSA Behavioral Health Treatment Locator

  • Who We Are
    • About
    • Domestic Divisions
    • Foreign Offices
    • Contact Us
    • DEA Museum
  • What We Do
    • Drug Prevention
    • Law Enforcement
    • Diversion Control Division
    • News
  • Careers
    • Overview
    • Special Agent
    • Diversion Investigator
    • Forensic Sciences
    • Intelligence Research Specialist
  • Resources
    • Drug Information
    • Employee Assistance Program
    • Equal Opportunity Employer
    • FOIA
    • Publications
    • Media Galleries
    • VWAP
  • Doing Business
    with the DEA
    • Overview
    • Current Vendors
    • Prospective Vendors
    • Security Clauses
    • Security Forms
    • Small Business Program
  • Policies
    • Accessibility, Plug-ins & Policy
    • Legal Policies & Disclaimers
    • No FEAR Act
    • Privacy Policy
    • U.S. Department of Justice EEO Policy
    • USA.gov
    • Whistleblower Protection
Home

United States Drug Enforcement Administration

DEA.gov is an official site of the U.S. Department of Justice
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Instagram

DEA Contact Center

(202) 307-1000 info@dea.gov
Contact the Webmaster