United States Drug Enforcement Administration

SAN FRANCISCO – Alex Murillo appeared in federal court today and was ordered detained in custody on charges of distribution of fentanyl and methamphetamine, announced United States Attorney Stephanie M. Hinds and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Special Agent in Charge Wade R. Shannon.  

Murillo, 26, who resides in Oakland, was arrested on June 21, 2022, following the filing of a federal criminal complaint. The complaint charges multiple street drug sales by Murillo in San Francisco’s Tenderloin District.  It specifically alleges that on April 7, 2022, Murillo met up with two undercover police officers near 8th and Market Streets in the Tenderloin and sold the undercover officers approximately 5 grams of a substance containing fentanyl for $100.  The complaint further alleges that on June 8, 2022, Murillo communicated again with one of the undercover police officers and then met with the undercover officer in the area of the San Francisco Civic Center BART platform in the Tenderloin.  This time, the complaint alleges, Murillo sold the undercover officer approximately two ounces of suspected fentanyl and approximately three ounces of methamphetamine for $1,400.

In a filed memo seeking his detention, the government described the arrest of Murillo on June 21 as he was leaving his residence in Oakland.  Police searched Murillo upon his arrest and found in his backpack a digital scale, over three ounces of a substance containing methamphetamine, and over an ounce of a substance containing cocaine base. 

The complaint charges Murillo with one count of distributing fentanyl in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1), (b)(1)(C).  The maximum statutory penalty for the charge is 20 years of imprisonment with three years of supervision upon release from prison.  The complaint also charges Murillo with one count of distributing 50 grams or more of a substance containing methamphetamine in violation of  21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1), (b)(1)(B)(viii).  The statutory penalty for this charge is a minimum of five years imprisonment and a maximum of 40 years imprisonment as well as a minimum of 4 years of supervision following release from prison with a maximum of life supervision. However, any sentence following a conviction would be imposed by a court only after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.

The charges contained in the complaint are only allegations.  As in any criminal case, the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law. 

Murillo made his initial court appearance to face the federal complaint on June 22, 2022, in United States District Court in San Francisco.  He appeared today before United States Magistrate Judge Laurel Beeler for a detention hearing and was ordered to remain detained in custody.  His next court appearance is a status hearing scheduled for July 13 before United States Magistrate Judge Alex Tse.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christa Hall and Chris Kaltsas are prosecuting the case, with the assistance of Lance Libatique.  The prosecution is the result of an investigation by DEA and the San Francisco Police Department.