Latest news with #Riverside-based
Yahoo
22-03-2025
- Yahoo
Feds bust smuggling ring: Suspects hid drugs inside their bodies to sneak contraband
The Brief Ten people have been named in a federal indictment that alleges they smuggled fentanyl, methamphetamine and heroin into a Riverside County detention facility. According to the indictment, individuals would hide the drugs in their bodies, then purposely get arrested to deliver the contraband. RIVERSIDE, Calif. - Ten people have been indicted in an alleged scheme orchestrated by street gang members to smuggle drugs into a Riverside County jail. What we know According to the Department of Justice, the defendants concealed the drugs inside of individuals who would purposely get arrested to deliver the contraband. Three people were arrested Friday and named in a federal grand jury indictment alleging a scheme to smuggle fentanyl, methamphetamine and heroin into the detention facility. The other defendants charged in the case were already in custody. The indictment alleges that the scheme was led by Andrew Jesus Ayala, 46, and members of a Riverside-based street gang who worked with three in-custody defendants who wanted to obtain narcotics, a group of facilitators on the street, and at least one drug mule who concealed narcotics in a body cavity. The indictment says the scheme began at an unknown date and continued into late 2022. It apparently stopped when intercepted phone calls revealed their smuggling efforts. In one incident in late 2022, a defendant attempted to smuggle 1¾ ounces of methamphetamine concealed inside his body, but that shipment was intercepted when the contraband was seen on an X-ray machine when they were brought into custody, the indictment alleges. Leaders of the scheme arranged temporary housing for the drug mules before and after they went into custody to deliver the drugs. The indictment also alleges that they planned to sell fentanyl-laced pills inside the jail for 10 times the street price. All 10 defendants have been charged and could face anywhere from five to 40 years in federal prison. What they're saying "The smuggling of drugs into our jails, particularly with the emergence of fentanyl, has dramatically increased inmate deaths and medical emergencies within our corrections division. I commend the sheriff's investigators and FBI agents who worked tirelessly on this case to ensure those responsible were identified and brought to justice. We will continue to partner with federal agents in our ongoing efforts to keep Riverside County safe," said Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco.
Yahoo
22-03-2025
- Yahoo
Riverside County gang used drug mules to smuggle narcotics into jail: DOJ
Three people were arrested Friday following a federal grand jury indictment accusing them of smuggling narcotics into a Riverside County jail. The indictment describes a scheme in which drugs were concealed in the body cavities of at least one 'drug mule' who then deliberately got arrested to deliver it inside the jail, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. The 10 defendants named in the indictment allegedly participated in smuggling fentanyl, methamphetamine, and heroin into the facility. The other seven defendants were already in custody, officials said. 'Drug smuggling endangers the lives of inmates and the sheriff's deputies who are sworn to guard them,' said Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph McNally. 'I thank and commend our partners at the FBI and Riverside County Sheriff's Department for their dedication to this case.' Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco said the smuggling of drugs into jails, particularly fentanyl, has led to an increase inmate deaths and medical emergencies in the jails. The scheme was allegedly led by Andrew Jesus Ayala, 46, of Riverside, and members of a Riverside-based street gang. They are accused of coordinating with defendants who were already in custody, multiple facilitators, and at least one drug mule. Beginning in 2022, investigators intercepted phone calls about the drug smuggling efforts, including the smugglers arranging temporary housing for the designated drug mules and using deliberate tactics to bypass detection like X-ray machines. One incident in late 2022 involved an unsuccessful attempt to smuggle 1.75 ounces of methamphetamine hidden inside a defendant's body, which was caught on the X-ray. The 10 defendants face conspiracy charges for possessing and distributing methamphetamine, which carries a minimum sentence of five years in prison. Nine defendants are additionally charged with possession with intent to distribute. The case was investigated by the FBI and the Riverside County Sheriff's Department. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
