Two Sacramento men have been sentenced for trafficking fentanyl-laced pills in Northern California. Jose Guadalupe Lopez-Zamora, 30, was given a 27-year prison sentence, and Joaquin Alberto Sotelo Valdez, 28, received a 10-year sentence. The charges included conspiracy to distribute and possess drugs, with Lopez-Zamora also facing money laundering charges, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Lopez-Zamora led a drug trafficking ring that operated from May 2019 to January 2021, distributing cocaine, methamphetamine, and counterfeit oxycodone pills known as “M-30,” which contained fentanyl. The operation extended beyond California to other states. The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, and other agencies, as reported by the U.S. Attorney's Office.
The case against a Sacramento drug ring is part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces program, which targets high-level criminal activity. Fourteen co-defendants have already pleaded guilty. Eight have been sentenced, receiving prison terms ranging from 19 months to over 10 years. Those sentenced include Rosario Zamora Rojo. Jose Aguilar Saucedo is scheduled for sentencing in July 2025, while several others are expected to be sentenced in August 2025, as stated by the U.S. Attorney's Office.
