A 32-year-old man was sentenced in D.C. on Friday after authorities revealed he was the supplier of more than 8 kg of fentanyl being sent from California.
Albert Rios, of D.C. and California, was discovered after packages carrying drugs were intercepted, allowing authorities to hone in on who was supplying them.
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Two packages were shipped from a FedEx facility in Monterrey Park, California, to a “Martes Benito” on Congress Street, SE, on December 13, 2022. After FedEx deemed the package suspicious, the DEA discovered around 700 grams of fentanyl pills and 200 grams of cocaine in one.
Four days later, another package was discovered, and authorities got a warrant to locate a kilogram of fentanyl pills.
Investigators questioned airlines and obtained footage and information to home in on two people who flew to Los Angeles on a frequent basis and returned to the Washington, D.C. area within a few days. Individuals would also ship packages from FedEx and UPS facilities in Monterey Park, California, to Washington, DC. Each of the retrieved parcels included fentanyl tablets.
Additional drugs, guns, and substantial sums of cash were discovered after examining the two individuals’ residences.
Investigators began investigating into Rios after learning of a July 2023 investigation in which DEA agents agreed to acquire a substantial amount of narcotics from him.
A search of his residence yielded a kilogram of cocaine, a kilogram of fentanyl, 15,000 fentanyl pills, and around $23,000 cash. His phone number was related to the individuals who mailed cocaine to Washington, DC.
Based on evidence found on Rios’ cell phone, FBI officials determined that he was responsible for supplying at least 8.425 kilos of fentanyl and 1.028 kilograms of cocaine.
He pled guilty on September 3 and received a sentence of more than 11 years in jail on December 19.
