U.S. Department
of Justice
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Press Release
Press Release
San Jose Man Sentenced To 102 Months For Conspiracy To Distribute Drugs And Other Crimes
For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of California
Defendant was part of an extensive drug distribution network
SAN FRANCISCO – Efrain Torres was sentenced to 102 months in prison for his role in an extensive Bay Area drug trafficking network, announced United States Attorney David L. Anderson and Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent in Charge Daniel C. Comeaux. The sentence was handed down by the Honorable William H. Orrick, III, U.S. District Judge.
Torres, 49, of San Jose, Calif., pleaded guilty on November 21, 2019. According to the plea agreement, Torres admitted that from January 2017 to April 2017, he conspired with others to distribute heroin, cocaine, and methamphetamine throughout the Bay Area. Torres admitted that on April 13, 2017, he was directed to deliver four kilograms of methamphetamine to a co-conspirator. Torres admitted that he loaded the methamphetamine into his car and started driving north from San Jose to San Francisco. Torres saw police lights behind him, sped away in an attempt to escape the police, and crashed on the highway. Torres admitted that he fled, but left the drugs behind at the scene of the crash, where they were recovered by the police.
Torres further admitted that he is a citizen of Mexico, who was deported from the United States to Mexico in January 2011 and again in September 2016. Following his second removal to Mexico, Torres admitted that he re-entered the United States without permission. Torres also admitted to possession of a 9mm handgun while he was in the United States illegally.
A federal grand jury originally indicted Torres on May 4, 2017. On November 19, 2019, the government filed a superseding information, charging Torres with one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 50 grams and more of methamphetamine, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 846, 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(B)(viii); one count of being found in the United States following removal, in violation of 8 U.S.C. § 1326(a) and (b)(1); and one count of alien in possession of a firearm and ammunition, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(5)(A). After waiving his right to prosecution by indictment, Torres consented to prosecution by information and then pleaded guilty on all counts.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Orrick sentenced Torres to a four-year period of supervised release.
Thirteen other defendants have pleaded guilty and received significant sentences in this case:
| Name | Charges | Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| Xavier Eriberto Sanchez Hernandez, a/k/a Xavi | Possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(B)(iii) | Sentenced to 60 months in prison |
| Henry Javier Lopez Alverto, a/k/a Waza | Conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, cocaine, and heroin, 21 U.S.C. §§ 846, 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(A) | Sentenced to 36 months in prison |
| Jesus Chavez Espinoza | Conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, cocaine, and heroin, 21 U.S.C. §§ 846, 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(A) | Sentenced to 120 months in prison |
| Felix Lopez-Galindo, a/k/a Fanta |
Possession with intent to distribute cocaine, 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(B)(iii)(II) Conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, cocaine, and heroin, 21 U.S.C. §§ 846, 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(A) |
Sentenced to 120 months in prison |
| Pedro Lopez-Galindo, a/k/a Zorro |
Possession with intent to distribute cocaine, 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(B)(iii)(II) Conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, cocaine, and heroin, 21 U.S.C. §§ 846, 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(A) |
Sentenced to 120 months in prison |
| Ismael Rodriguez Loreto | Conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, cocaine, and heroin, 21 U.S.C. §§ 846, 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(A) | Sentenced to 42 months in prison |
| Rafael Romero-Rodriguez | Possession with intent to distribute cocaine, 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(B)(iii)(II) | Sentenced to 60 months in prison |
| Juan Jose Flores, Jr., a/k/a Popeye | Possession with intent to distribute cocaine, 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(B)(iii)(II) | Sentenced to 48 months in prison |
| Jairo Puerto, a/k/a Luis Antonio Rodriguez Colon |
Conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, cocaine, and heroin, 21 U.S.C. §§ 846, 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(A) |
Sentenced to 41 months in prison |
| Yader Rubi Morales, a/k/a Speedy |
Possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, 21 U.S.C. §§ 846, 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(C) Felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1)(A) |
Sentenced to 65 months in prison |
| Julio Covarrubias, a/k/a Gallo |
Conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, cocaine, and heroin, 21 U.S.C. §§ 846, 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(A) Possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(B)(viii) |
Sentenced to 135 months in prison |
| Robert Zander Seaton | Possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(B)(viii) |
Sentenced to 60 months in prison to be served concurrently with a 120 month sentence in another case |
| Larry Amador | Illegal use of communication facility, 21 U.S.C. § 843(b) | Sentenced to 41 months in prison |
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sheila A.G. Armbrust and Sloan Heffron are prosecuting the case with the assistance of Linda Love and Andy Ding. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, with assistance from the San Francisco Police Department, the Daly City Police Department, the Long Beach Police Department, the Milpitas Police Department, the South San Francisco Police Department, the San Jose Police Department, and the California Highway Patrol, as well as the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (Laredo, Texas Field Office), and the Laredo Texas Police Department. This case is the product of an extensive investigation by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force, a focused multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional task force investigating and prosecuting the most significant drug trafficking organizations throughout the United States by leveraging the combined expertise of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies.
Updated February 10, 2020
Topic
Drug Trafficking
Component