Two Charged with Trafficking Fentanyl After 7 Kilos Found Hidden in Car Door During a Traffic Stop in Fresno County
FRESNO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a two-count indictment today against Mexican nationals Victor Piceno Madrigal, 46, and Erick Larios Acosta, 25, charging them with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant and Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent in Charge Bob P. Beris announced.
According to court documents, on May 13, 2026, Madrigal and Acosta were driving northbound on U.S. Interstate-5 in Fresno County when they were stopped for a traffic violation. A subsequent search of the vehicle yielded 7 kilograms of fentanyl powder divided into single-kilogram packages hidden inside the rear passenger door panel.
The Drug Enforcement Administration and The Fresno County Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Antonio Pataca is prosecuting the case.
If convicted, Madrigal and Acosta face a mandatory minimum 10 years in prison up to life in prison and a $10 million fine. Any sentence, however, would 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. The charges are only allegations; the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
