Estimated read time: 1-2 minutes
- Three men from Central and South America were charged in a drug sting.
- They were arrested for possession and distribution of fentanyl in West Valley City.
- Authorities reported seizing over 3 pounds of fentanyl, marijuana and THC cartridges.
SALT LAKE CITY — Three Central and South American men were indicted Wednesday on federal charges after being arrested in an undercover drug sting in March.
Diego Armando Campos-Fallas, 19, of Costa Rica; Hugo Eduardo Miraba-Franco, 20, of Ecuador; and Jose Enrique Zuniga-Diaz, 19, of, Honduras, are charged with possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute. Campos-Fallas is charged with five counts of distribution of fentanyl, and Miraba-Franco is charged with two counts of the same.
On March 19, the complaint says agents from the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives coordinated an undercover operation, using a confidential informant to purchase 5,000 fentanyl pills from Campos-Fallas.
The informant and an undercover officer went to meet Campos-Fallas at his apartment near the intersection of Redwood Road and 4100 South in West Valley City. Campos-Fallas, driven by Miraba-Franco, met the two in the parking lot, got into their car with around 5,000 fentanyl pills and was arrested, alongside the driver, according to charging documents.
Warrants were served on the men's car and an apartment they share with Zuniga-Diaz, according to court documents, turning up 9,000 fentanyl pills, 102.2 grams of marijuana, and 1125.3 grams of THC cartridges.
In total, law enforcement say they recovered 831 grams of fentanyl from the apartment and 609.5 grams from the meet and Campos-Fallas' vehicle — over 3 pounds, charges allege.
In post-arrest interviews, investigators say Miraba-Franco "admitted to being aware of (Campos-Fallas') intentions to sell fentanyl and to driving (Campos-Fallas) on prior transactions wherein firearms and fentanyl pills were sold during this investigation," according to court documents.
Zuniga-Diaz told agents he placed between 500 and 1,000 fentanyl pills, separated into three baggies, into an inner pocket of his coat at the request of Campos-Fallas, the complaint says.
The men made an initial appearance in federal court on Thursday.
