Two Mexican Nationals Indicted for Transporting About 14,800 Counterfeit Oxycodone Pills Containing Fentanyl

Construction taking place on a border barrier in Otay Mesa, Calif., on April 3, 2019. (Getty Images/Mario Tama)

(CNSNews.com) – A federal grand jury in Sacramento, Calif., has indicted two Mexican nationals who were pulled over in a traffic stop and then were discovered to be “in possession of approximately 14,799 fentanyl-laced counterfeit oxycodone pills.”

“A federal grand jury returned a two-count indictment Thursday against Ivan Lopez, 34, of Mexico, and Erick Olivas Lopez, 39, of Mexico, charging them with conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute at least 400 grams of a substance containing fentanyl,” U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott of the Eastern District of California announced in a statement released on Thursday.

“The charges are only allegations; the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt,” the U.S. attorney’s statement said.

Here is the complete text of the U.S. attorney’s press release:

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a two-count indictment Thursday against Ivan Lopez, 34, of Mexico, and Erick Olivas Lopez, 39, of Mexico, charging them with conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute at least 400 grams of a substance containing fentanyl, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.

According to court documents, on April 25, 2019, the defendants were found in possession of approximately 14,799 fentanyl-laced counterfeit oxycodone pills, weighing approximately 1.6 kilograms, during a traffic stop in Sacramento.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Tri-County Drug Enforcement Team (TRIDENT), the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, and the California Highway Patrol. Assistant United States Attorney David W. Spencer is prosecuting the case.

If convicted, Lopez and Olivas Lopez each face a minimum statutory penalty of 10 years and a maximum of 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.