Sacramento federal drug case targets alleged leader of Mexico trafficking network
Federal prosecutors charged an alleged Mexico-based drug trafficking leader with distributing methamphetamine and heroin across Northern California, federal prosecutors in Sacramento announced Thursday.
Hugo Alberto Herrera Rodriguez, 41, of Mexico who was allegedly living unlawfully in California, was indicted June 13, 2024, on eight counts, including conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and heroin, distribution of methamphetamine and heroin, and conspiracy to commit money laundering, according to U.S. Attorney Eric Grant’s office. The indictment was unsealed Thursday after Herrera Rodriguez was arrested Tuesday in Grass Valley.
According to court documents, Herrera Rodriguez, whom prosecutors said was a Mexico-based leader of a drug trafficking organization, conspired to distribute methamphetamine and heroin throughout Sacramento, San Joaquin, Placer, Nevada and Stanislaus counties. Herrera Rodriguez also conspired to traffic proceeds from drug sales to Mexico, according to prosecutors.
Herrera Rodriguez faces a maximum sentence of life in prison and a $10 million fine if convicted of methamphetamine distribution charges. For heroin distribution and money laundering charges, he faces maximum penalties of 40 years in prison and a $5 million fine, and 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine, respectively.
The case was investigated through the Homeland Security Task Force initiative, Protecting the American People Against Invasion, which aims to eliminate criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad.
The High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas program, the Sacramento Area Intelligence/Narcotics Team, the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office, the California Highway Patrol and the Nevada City Police Department also assisted with the investigation, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
