The federal government has announced the indictment of ten individuals in a case of narcotics smuggling within a Riverside County jail. According to information provided by the United States Department of Justice, members of a street gang allegedly masterminded a plan to sneak drugs into the facility by having mules purposely get arrested with drugs concealed within their bodies.

The operation appears to have been quite intricate, involving coordination among gang members, inmates already in custody, and individuals on the outside acting as drug mules. The indictment outlines that the accused went to lengths to especially hide their activities, including attempts to not smuggle narcotics past X-ray machines—a method that eventually failed in at least one known instance.

In an incident detailed by both the DOJ report and an article by FOX LA, a smuggler was caught when an X-ray machine detected 1¾ ounces of methamphetamine concealed within their body. This was part of a larger plot that involved the sale of fentanyl-laced pills at inflated prices within the detention center.

Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco emphasized the seriousness of the matter given the recent rise in inmate deaths and emergencies due to fentanyl. "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," Bianco said, according to a statement obtained by FOX LA. The same vigor to equally combat these crimes was shared by Acting United States Attorney Joseph McNally, who cited the dedication of federal agencies and local sheriff's departments in addressing this critical issue.

The federal indictment accuses the defendants of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute narcotics—a charge that could land them a mandatory minimum of five years up to a maximum of 40 years in prison if convicted.