West Sacramento Man Sentenced to Ten Years in Prisoning for Fentanyl Pill and Cocaine Trafficking

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Christian Anthony Romero, 28, of West Sacramento, was sentenced yesterday by United States District Judge Dale A. Drozd to 10 years in prison for conspiracy distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl pills and cocaine, United States Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, Romero distributed thousands of fentanyl-laced counterfeit oxycodone M-30 pills and cocaine on behalf of a Sacramento-based drug trafficking organization. From at least May 2019 through January 2021, the organization imported fentanyl M-30 pills from Mexico and distributed them, as well as cocaine and methamphetamine, throughout northern California and in Nevada. The organization was led by Jose Lopez-Zamora in Sacramento and his Mexico-based brother and drug trafficking partner, Luis Lopez Zamora.

On Sep. 4, 2020, Romero sold approximately 1,000 fentanyl M-30 pills to an undercover officer for $9,000. During October through December 2020, evidence obtained during court-ordered wiretaps of Jose Lopez-Zamora and Luis Lopez Zamora's cell phones revealed that Romero stored fentanyl pills and cocaine at his residence in West Sacramento and sold thousands of fentanyl pills on behalf of the organization. Evidence from the wiretap investigation also revealed that Romero contributed money to, and was kept apprised of, large loads of fentanyl M-30 pills that the organization imported from Mexico, including two loads that were seized by law enforcement on Nov. 26, 2020 (about 11,000 pills) and Dec. 5, 2020 (7,727 pills).

On Jan. 13, 20201, law enforcement executed a federal search warrant at Romero's West Sacramento residence, where he lived with his girlfriend and two young children. During the search, agents found more than 1,000 fentanyl M-30 pills in the same room as a loaded 9mm Ruger pistol, and 7.62 caliber rifle, and a .223 caliber rifle.

This case was the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), the U.S. Marshals Service, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Yuba-Sutter Narcotic and Gang Enforcement Task Force (NET-5), the California Highway Patrol, the Butte Interagency Narcotics Task Force (BINTF), the Tri-County Drug Enforcement Team (TRIDENT), the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department, the Sacramento Police Department, the Roseville Police Department, the Manteca Police Department, the Yuba City Police Department, and the West Sacramento Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney David W. Spencer is prosecuting the case.

Seven other defendants have pleaded guilty:

• Rudi Jean Carlos pleaded guilty and, on Oct. 11, 2022, was sentenced to ten years and one month in prison.
• Jason Lamar Lee pleaded guilty and, on Oct. 11, 2022, was sentenced to eight years and seven months in prison.
• Javier Hernandez pleaded guilty and, on Nov. 8, 2022, was sentenced to two years and eight months in prison.
• Christopher Kegan Williams pleaded guilty, and on Dec. 14, 2021, was sentenced to two and a half years in prison.
• Baudelio Vizcarra Jr., pleaded guilty, and on Jan. 24, 2023, was sentenced to two and a half years in prison.
• Mateo Elias Guerrero-Gonzales pleaded guilty and, on Oct. 11, 2022, was sentenced to two years and three months in prison.
• Alejandro Tello pleaded guilty and is scheduled to be sentenced on Sep. 3, 2024.

Charges are pending against the following defendants: Jose Guadalupe Lopez-Zamora, Luis Lopez Zamora, Leonardo Flores Beltran, Joaquin Alberto Sotelo Valdez, Erika Gabriela Zamora Rojo, Jose Luis Aguilar Saucedo, Rosario Zamora Rojo, and Sandro Escobedo. The charges are only allegations; the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

Luis Lopez Zamora was extradited from Mexico to the United States on April 17, 2024, following his arrest by Mexican authorities on a warrant based on a U.S. extradition request.

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.

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