Fresno Man Indicted for Fentanyl Trafficking and Illegal Firearm Possession

FRESNO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a two-count indictment today against Jose Jesus Torres Garcia, 30, of Fresno, charging him with possessing fentanyl with intent to distribute it and possessing a firearm in furtherance of that drug trafficking offense, Acting U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, on a Facebook Messenger group page dedicated to narcotics trafficking, Torres Garcia advertised the sale of narcotics, including counterfeit oxycodone pills stamped with an “M” on one side and a “30” on the other. On July 8, 2021, investigators executed a federal search warrant at Torres Garcia’s residence and seized several controlled substances, including the “M” “30” fentanyl pills, as well as a loaded, short-barreled AR-15 rifle with an extended magazine attached.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Fentanyl Overdose Resolution Team, a multi‑agency team composed of Homeland Security Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Fresno Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin J. Gilio is prosecuting the case.

If convicted, Torres Garcia faces a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison and a $1 million fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This case is part of Operation Synthetic Opioid Surge (S.O.S.) a program designed to reduce the supply of deadly synthetic opioids in high impact areas as well as identifying wholesale distribution networks and international and domestic suppliers. In July 2018, the Justice Department announced the creation of S.O.S., which is being implemented in the Eastern District of California and nine other federal districts.

This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.