2 Magna men facing federal charges in drug bust of 63,000 fentanyl pills
Two men from Magna are in federal custody facing drug possession charges after federal agents reported recovering more than 63,000 fentanyl pills.
A federal grand jury in Salt Lake City on Wednesday indicted Lenin Rafael Rodriguez-Villafranca, aka "Jose Santiago Funez Villafranca," 23, and Onesy Basilo Avilez-Flores, aka "Rafael Flores Onesy Basilo," 22, on charges of possession of heroin, fentanyl and cocaine with the intent to distribute and reentry of a previously removed alien, according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney's Office.
In May, the FBI Wasatch Metro Drug Task Force opened an investigation into Rodriguez-Villafranca and other members of a drug-trafficking organization suspected of distributing narcotics in Utah, according to a criminal complaint.
While conducting a search at Rodriguez-Villafranca's residence on June 6, agents saw Avilez-Flores with blue pills, the U.S. Attorney's Office said. Avilez-Flores allegedly tried to run back into the residence and dispose of the pills, but federal agents recovered counterfeit blue M-30 pills on the floor and in the toilet.
Agents found approximately 6,288 grams of field-tested positive fentanyl — which totals about 63,000 pills — as well as 2,737 grams of heroin and 1,096 grams of cocaine, according to federal prosecutors.
The two men are scheduled for a court appearance for their indictment on Friday at 11 a.m. in U.S. District Court.
