Bakersfield Resident Sentenced for Drug Conspiracy

FRESNO, Calif. -Jose Luis Zambrano, 40, of Bakersfield, was sentenced today to 12 years and seven months in prison for conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and heroin, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. Today's sentence will run consecutive to his state sentence.

According to court documents, from October 2016 to January 2017, Zambrano sold 1 pound of methamphetamine and nearly 12 ounces of heroin in four separate transactions involving a confidential source. A federal wiretap investigation also revealed that Zambrano was the source of drug supply for Manuel Teodoro Aros, 49, of Santa Maria, from whom law enforcement seized another 2.5 pounds of methamphetamine in March 2017, and, in June 2017, was the intended recipient of 5 ounces of heroin from Jesus Burgos-Luna, 43, a fugitive believed to be running the operation from Mexico. The wiretap investigation ended prematurely when Zambrano and another drug co-conspirator were arrested for murder-related charges.

Zambrano was brought to federal court following his conviction in May 2022 in Kern County Superior Court for solicitation to commit murder. Teodoro Aros previously entered a guilty plea for his involvement in the drug conspiracy and was sentenced to 13 years and eight months in prison.

This case was the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Bakersfield Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Karen A. Escobar prosecuted the case.

The case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. For more information about Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces, please visit Justice.gov/OCDETF.