Mexican National Sentenced to over 5 Years in Prison for Distributing Fentanyl and Fentanyl-Related Substance

FRESNO, Calif. — Oscar Arturo Salomon Perez, 48, a citizen of Mexico, was sentenced today to five years and three months in prison for distributing fentanyl and p-fluorofentanyl, an analogue of fentanyl, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, in October 2021, Perez negotiated the sale of 10,000 counterfeit oxycodone pills laced with fentanyl and a kilogram of “Chinese food,” believed to be synthetic heroin laced with fentanyl. After confirming the prices with his supplier in Mexico, Perez advised that it would cost $3 per pill for the 10,000 counterfeit oxycodone pills and $22,000 for the “Chinese food.” Perez requested an additional $1,000 for making the delivery in Fresno for a total of $53,000. An undercover agent agreed to the terms. A couple hours later, Perez met with and showed the agent a large clear plastic bag containing 10,004 blue pills marked “M-30” containing fentanyl and another clear plastic bag containing about 2 pounds of p-fluorofentanyl in powder form. When the agent advised that another car was bringing the money, Perez fled and was eventually stopped by law enforcement officers. Another 219 blue pills containing fentanyl marked “M-30” were found in Perez’s vehicle.

This case was the product of an investigation by the Fresno High Impact Investigation Team (HIIT), which is a High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Initiative (HIDTA) composed of law enforcement personnel from the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Drug Enforcement Administration; the California Department of Justice; the California Highway Patrol; the Fresno, Tulare, and Kings Counties Sheriff’s Offices; and the Fresno Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Escobar prosecuted the case.