A Mexican drug trafficker has been hit with a lengthy sentence for a significant methamphetamine haul uncovered in Arizona. Jorge Anaya-Valencia, age 48, from Guyamas, Sonora, Mexico, has been ordered to spend 180 months in prison for Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine. U.S. District Judge Krissa M. Lanham handed down the sentence on September 23.
Anaya-Valencia, an unlawful resident in Arizona, has a notable criminal history, including twelve prior removals from the United States, and nine previous criminal immigration convictions. On top, of that, he was already under supervised release at the time of his latest arrest, earning him an additional 6-month sentence to group with the 15-year stint. His co-defendants, all of whom were classified as illegal aliens, received lighter sentences. Jesus Manuel Soto Quihui was sentenced to 60 months in prison, and both Diego Nunez-Aispuri, and Ivan Manuel Higuera Torres were sentenced to 46 months each.
The investigation that led to these sentences was spearheaded by the Drug Enforcement Administration's Phoenix East Valley Drug Enforcement Task Force HIDTA. Details from court documents, obtained by the U.S. Attorney's Office, reveal that agents identified Anaya-Valencia as a member of a drug trafficking organization operating out of Phoenix.
In a sting operation on January 23, 2024, DEA agents observed Higuero Torres arrive at a meeting place in a red Ford F-150. Anaya-Valencia inspected the truck's back seat before Nunez-Aispuro transferred two plastic containers, and one cardboard box into a Chevrolet Tahoe driven by Soto Quihui. Following the transfer, the four defendants left in separate vehicles and were soon pulled over and detained. Law enforcement officers found approximately 76 kilograms (167 pounds) of methamphetamine inside the containers and box. In addition to the drugs, two firearms were seized: one from Anaya-Valencia's glove compartment and another from Soto Quihui's waistband.
The conviction of Anaya-Valencia and his co-defendants highlights ongoing efforts to combat drug trafficking in the United States. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stuart J. Zander and Travis L. Wheeler of the District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution for this case, numbered 24-CR-00255-01-PHX-KML; 19-CR-01081-PHX-KML as per the official release.
