A Chula Vista man pleaded guilty March 1 to supplying fentanyl to five people who survived overdoses as well as delivering 55 pounds of cocaine in 2017.
Joel Rodriguez, 29, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and to possession of cocaine with intent to distribute. He was arrested Dec. 12, 2017.
The U.S. Attorney’s office said the overdoses occurred Dec. 7 to five people in Alpine who thought they were using cocaine but were actually using fentanyl, which is a much more powerful drug that often kills those who use it.
Two people were treated at the scene with Naloxone, a drug which reverses the depression of the central nervous system and respiratory system that is caused by opioids.
“This was a horrendous crime that resulted in five drug overdoses in our community,” said Sheriff William Gore.
“The threat of fentanyl and other drugs being sold in our communities endangers our young people and wreaks havoc in the lives of more than just those who use them,” said Gore. “It is imperative that we continue to proactively investigate and prosecute the individuals who profit from the destruction of others.”
The maximum sentence Rodriguez faces is 30 years in federal prison, but federal guidelines don’t recommend such a long term. The U.S. Attorney’s office says Rodriguez faces a 10-year minimum sentence.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Jan Adler set sentencing for May 21. Rodriguez waived his right to have a detention hearing, and Adler ordered him detained without bail in the Metropolitan Correctional Center in San Diego.
Rodriguez delivered the fentanyl to another person for distribution in San Diego. So far Rodriguez is the only one charged in U.S. District Court. He obtained the fentanyl in Mexico.
The cocaine charge involves a delivery of 55 pounds of cocaine by Rodriguez from Chula Vista to Riverside County on May 17, 2017. A search warrant was served on Rodriguez’s home following the Dec 7 overdoses, and additional cocaine and fentanyl were found.
“Every time you use drugs, you are playing Russian Roulette,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Adam Braverman. “You may think you’re going to get high, but you’re really going to get low, as in six feet under.”
Braverman said fentanyl is “30 to 50 times more powerful than heroin and so dangerous than in its purest form, even a tiny amount touching the skin can be deadly.”
“This is exactly the kind of investigation needed in the face of our nation’s current opioid crisis,” said Steve Woodland, the acting special agent in charge at the Drug Enforcement Administration. “Targeting the sellers of this poison should send a clear message that San Diego law enforcement will not tolerate these criminals in our community.”
