Long Beach men used upholstery shop as front, hid drugs in vending machine: DOJ
Two men from Long Beach were arrested by federal agents Friday morning on an 11-count indictment accusing them of selling fentanyl and methamphetamine out of a Gardena upholstery shop.
Hector Valle, 48, and Efren Sanchez, 52, were expected to be arraigned Friday afternoon in United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles, according to the United States Department of Justice.
The two men face charges for conspiring to distribute fentanyl and meth, as well as illegal gun charges. Valle faces additional charges for possessing cocaine with an intent to distribute and possession of a firearm in the “furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.”
The grand jury indictment alleges that the two men sold approximately 433 grams of methamphetamine and 49.95 grams of fentanyl on June 9, 2023.
The investigation eventually led to search warrants being served Friday at three locations, one of which was an automobile upholstery shop in Gardena called “Stitchn’ Time.”
Law enforcement found several packages of fentanyl, meth and cocaine hidden in a vending machine at the upholstery shop.
In total, officers recovered more than 31 pounds of fentanyl, 424 grams of methamphetamine, about 675 grams of cocaine, six firearms, 117 rounds of ammunition and nearly $22,000 cash.
The investigation was conducted as part of Operation Safe Cities, a federal initiative that targets the “most significant drivers of violent crime,” including drug traffickers, robbery crews and prohibited persons possessing firearms.
“Those who traffic in fentanyl are well aware that they are profiting by putting others’ lives at risk,” said United States Attorney Martin Estrada in a news release. “It is important that those bad actors be held accountable.”
If convicted on all charges, the DOJ says Valle and Sanchez would face anywhere between 10 years to life in federal prison.
The FBI is investigating the case and the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office provided assistance during this recent operation.
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